Kobe Bryant died today

[idahohikker]

Grew up in the greater LA area. I had a part time job in high school/college where I worked at Staples changing the floors over for basketball, hockey, concerts etc. There were times where we needed to change the floor over after a game but Kobe would be in the arena long after everyone had gone/after a game, working on a specific shot. I remember getting to watch him in an empty arena on occasion...sometimes for five minutes...sometimes for an hour...just shooting. It was damn cool. Before I had any cell phone or social media...just got to watch him uninterrupted.

In 02, I also had a part time job during the Christmas season delivering Christmas trees. A delivery ticket came up for Kobe's house in Newport. Delivered a tree to his house. He shared a funny story about a job he had when he was young. Took the time to thank me for setting up the tree and gave me a $200 cash tip (for a tree that cost $100).

Sad story to say the least, especially because of his young daughter. Shows our fallibility as human beings and the fact that in the end, none of us get out of here alive. Just another reason to tell the people around you how much you love them.

Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing these great stories.

 

[MtnMuley]

RIP Goat, Gigi, and everybody else on board.....far too young

 

[Cahunter805]

Have been a Laker fan all my life. It’s so tragic that it almost doesn’t seem real.
RIP Mamba,Gigi and everyone else taken way to soon today!

 

[etch101]

I will not get in a helicopter. Something that has to beat the air around you to stay in the air, not gonna happen. I don't follow basketball anymore but he was one of the best. I couldn't imagine loosing a child like that. Prayers to the mother and wife.

 

[ahlgringo]

De mortuis nil nisi bonum

Rest in peace to all involved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MajorAR]

As a helicopter pilot, here's what I think happened based on ATClive.net and AirTraffic Aware.

The helicopter pilot asked SOCAL for flight following (IFR routing) but was denied as he was too low for that. Ceilings were reported at OVC1300' on NOAA history. The San Fernando valley floor is only 800 to 1000'. He probably went in to IMC when he met the rising terrain westbound on 101, attempted a 180 out while in the soup and hit the mountain. We read reports on these outcomes in mountain passes before, eg. Donner pass, Grapevine, the Rockies, etc. where scud running the highway leads to VFR into IMC, then...your boxed in. His speed was recorded at 150 knots as well. WAAAAY to fast for flying in Special VFR. He should have climbed, declared emergency and received IFR flight routing.

PILOT ERROR

 

[5MilesBack]

Just goes to show you that no matter who you are, or how old you are.......you'd better make 100% sure you know where you're going to spend your eternity before it's too late. You don't get second chances.

 

[MarkeRbon]

Basketball lost one of its greatest competitors and most accomplished players.

 

[idahohikker]

As a helicopter pilot, here's what I think happened based on ATClive.net and AirTraffic Aware.

The helicopter pilot asked SOCAL for flight following (IFR routing) but was denied as he was too low for that. Ceilings were reported at OVC1300' on NOAA history. The San Fernando valley floor is only 800 to 1000'. He probably went in to IMC when he met the rising terrain westbound on 101, attempted a 180 out while in the soup and hit the mountain. We read reports on these outcomes in mountain passes before, eg. Donner pass, Grapevine, the Rockies, etc. where scud running the highway leads to VFR into IMC, then...your boxed in. His speed was recorded at 150 knots as well. WAAAAY to fast for flying in Special VFR. He should have climbed, declared emergency and received IFR flight routing.

PILOT ERROR

Thanks for the information. I was also wondering why did he get so low and boxed into the dangerous terrain? Why would he have been going so fast?

 

[MajorAR]

I can't answer those questions. We will probably never know. But as always, there was a chain of bad decisions that leads to catastrophes like this.

 

[5MilesBack]

I can't answer those questions. We will probably never know. But as always, there was a chain of bad decisions that leads to catastrophes like this.

Yep, I love watching those "Air Crash Investigation" shows on the National Geographic channel. You don't even need to be a pilot to see and understand some of the mistakes these pilots made that led to a crash.......like putting the plane into a stall and still pulling back on the stick.

 

[Beendare]

As a helicopter pilot, here's what I think happened based on ATClive.net and AirTraffic Aware.
......

PILOT ERROR

I think you nailed it.^
I've been grounded in Alaska and our pilot actually landed in a remote spot refusing to fly in the soup.

Could it be that Kobe insisted they go anyway as they had a basketball game for his daughter at noon?

These celebrities can have an influence that avg folks don't and thats my guess though we will probably never know for sure.

_________

 

[YOTE556]

RIP to him and his daughter. very sad

 

[BroodBuster]

Scud running is a root cause of so many of these types of tragedies. Crab boats, mountaineers, backcountry skiers. The list goes on and on. I’ve done it driving logging roads in snowstorms. I once climbed a ridge searching for powder to find all the powder calved away in a huge avalanche. If that hadn’t triggered on its own overnight my friends and I probably wouldn’t be here. It’s a sad tragedy of human nature that we so often would rather die than be perceived as too weak and too scared to say “no, not today.”

The scary part is that the more experience one has the harder it is to make the right decision. Especially in a group dynamic. The rookie doesn’t want to say no while the expert also doesn’t say no even when both are thinking it. Seems that one has to survive scud running before one has the ability to avoid it in the future.

Damn sad. Kobe and Gigi were just in Cashmere Wa supporting a teammate. How cool to go to a girls High School game in a tiny town with maybe 40 other folks in the stands to find you’re sitting next to Kobe.

Such a tragedy that has obviously effected a great many. Prayers said for all!

If your gut ever screams STOP, TURNtfAROUND. Please do. I’ll probably call you a pussy around the campfire but in my heart I’ll know you made the absolute right decision!!!

 

[MtnOyster]

If I could figure out how to operate this new iPad I’d copy/paste the interview I just watched, witness says the pilot was almost at a hover over the parking lot/buildings apparently trying to get his bearings straight barely moving around flying slow and watched him fly East slowly until he heard the impact.
Its all speculation right now but it’s looking like the weather/fog worsened as they approached the area from where they took off from, got disoriented and unfortunately caught the Mtn side.
Sad day for all families involved.
I’m sure the pilot will be scrutinized some how down the road by the media but I’m sure under stressful circumstances he was doing everything he could think of trying to keep all on board safe.

 

[MtnOyster]

Here it is guy seems pretty credible

 

[kentbarter]

Love the tree story. Seemed like he was really embracing post NBA life.

Kent

 

[Inkoosikas]

Very sad. Feel sorry for the families of everyone who died in the crash.