Kobe Bryant Killed In Helicopter Crash

[vossman]

He wasn?t flying IFR so no rules broken by him or the company right?

Helicopter in Kobe Bryant Crash Wasn?t Legal to Fly in Poor Visibility

[iego]

The final radar flight profile with a climb and then a sharp descent into the hillside lead experts to believe that the pilot had become disoriented in the fog.

Yeah, I'm not sure I believe that. When Pilots get disorientated, they don't (or shouldn't) steeply dive.

-John

[iego]

He wasn?t flying IFR so no rules broken by him or the company right?

The only thing unusual was that the fog was extra bad.

-John

[Gman]

He wasn?t flying IFR so no rules broken by him or the company right?

According to the report they had to have visibility of 3 miles and a ceiling no lower than 1000'. The visibility was less than 3 miles and they crashed into the hillside while in the clouds. They didn't fail on IFR, they failed on VFR and 9 people are dead. Maybe they'll find something mechanical in the investigation, but I doubt it.

[Gman]

Yeah, I'm not sure I believe that. When Pilots get disorientated, they don't (or shouldn't) steeply dive.

-John

Tell that to JFK Jr. Without visual queues, trying to fly by the sensation you get in the seat of your pants can be extremely misleading.

ETA: This is the link to the FAA PDF describing spacial disorientation that was embedded in the article that I quoted:


FAA: Spatial Disorientation

Spatial Orientation
Defines our natural ability to maintain our body orientation and/or posture in relation to the surrounding environment (physical space) at rest and during motion. Genetically speaking, humans are designed to maintain spatial orientation on the ground. The three-dimensional environment of flight is unfamiliar to the human body, creating sensory conflicts and illusions that make spatial orientation difficult, and sometimes impossible to achieve. Statistics show that between 5 to 10% of all general aviation accidents can be attributed to spatial disorientation, 90% of which are fatal.

Spatial Orientation in Flight
Spatial orientation in flight is difficult to achieve because numerous sensory stimuli (visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive) vary in magnitude, direction,and frequency. Any differences or discrepancies between visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensory inputs result in a sensory mismatch that can produce illusions and lead to spatial disorientation. Good spatial orientation relies on the effective perception, integration and interpretation of visual, vestibular (organs of equilibrium located in the inner ear) and proprioceptive (receptors located in the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints) sensory information.

[iego]

This was a very experienced pilot, operating for years in the same (very busy) air space. Over 8,000 hours, I believe.

Not like JFK Jr at all.

-John

[iego]

He had instruments to tell him his position in space, and whether he was going up, or down.

I understand that at some point you might feel that the instruments are lying to you, but in the short time frame we are talking about, I don't think that is possible.

I think either he flew blindly into the mountain (a straight trajectory) or he had mechanical problems resulting in a crash.

-John

[iego]

Which covers almost all my bases.

-John

[Gman]

To err is human...

There, I covered my bases too.

[FoxtArt]

Just wait... in a couple more days, Iran will FINALLY admit to shooting down Kobe, a SAM-Dunk.
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Okay, I'm fired. I'll see myself to the door.
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...Being more serious, Kobe was one Soleimani on board, including a family of 3 (father/mother/daughter?) that are probably suffering more than anyone else associated.