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Kobe chopper's flight pattern was just weird and all over the place

Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:35 am
Posted by Street Hawk
Member since Nov 2014
3465 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:35 am
quote:

TMZ:

4:30 PM PT -- L.A. weather was extremely foggy Sunday morning, and law enforcement sources tell us even LAPD air support was grounded because of it. Flight tracker data shows Kobe's chopper appeared to first encounter weather issues as it was above the L.A. Zoo. It circled that area at least 6 times at a very low altitude -- around 875 feet -- perhaps waiting for the fog to clear.

We know the pilot contacted the control tower at Burbank Airport around 9:30 AM PT, and the tower was aware the pilot had been circling for about 15 minutes. The pilot eventually headed north along the 118 freeway before turning to the west, and started following above the 101 freeway around Woodland Hills, CA.

At around 9:40 AM they encounter more weather -- as in seriously heavy fog -- and the chopper turned south. This was critical, because they turned toward a mountainous area. The pilot suddenly and rapidly climbed from about 1200 feet up to 2000 feet.

However, moments later -- around 9:45 AM -- they flew into a mountain at 1700 feet. Flight tracker data shows they were flying at about 161 knots.
(That is almost 200 miles a hour).
Posted by FeauxPaw
BRuh
Member since Sep 2015
853 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:36 am to
What is vertigo?
Posted by lsusteve1
Member since Dec 2004
42051 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:37 am to
Damn man, very avoidable tragedy
Posted by lsu13lsu
Member since Jan 2008
11489 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:37 am to
Damn. Pilot couldn't figure out what to do.
Posted by Klark Kent
Houston via BR
Member since Jan 2008
67051 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:38 am to
i'm sure this is an extremely ignorant question. but if the weather was that bad why take off? why not land and wait it out? instead of circling and taking some weird flight path?
Posted by VolsOut4Harambe
Atlanta, GA
Member since Sep 2017
12856 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:38 am to
frick riding in a helicopter man.

After this tragedy I refuse to step in one unless absolutely necessary.
Posted by brass2mouth
NOLA
Member since Jul 2007
19721 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:39 am to
Seems like 160knots was a little excessive given the weather.
Posted by DirtyDawg
President of the East Cobb Snobs
Member since Aug 2013
15539 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:40 am to
This makes it so much worse


So avoidable
Posted by CHSTigersFan
Charleston, Arkansas
Member since Jan 2005
2738 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:40 am to
So basically NTSB will chock this up to pilot error.
Posted by sec13rowBBseat28
St George, LA
Member since Aug 2006
15401 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:40 am to
quote:

weather was extremely foggy
quote:

seriously heavy fog
Posted by The Pirate King
Pangu
Member since May 2014
57840 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:41 am to
If you want to look on the bright side, slamming into the side of a mountain at that speed probably made it pretty quick way to go. Doubt they saw it coming
Posted by Y.A. Tittle
Member since Sep 2003
101695 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:41 am to
This may have been answered, but I haven't been reading everything on this deal. Did he regularly use a helicopter just to travel across town?
Posted by 13SaintTiger
Isle of Capri
Member since Sep 2011
18315 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:41 am to
It’s was circling because the ATC didn’t clear them to fly yet
Posted by mylsuhat
Mandeville, LA
Member since Mar 2008
48953 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:43 am to
Just seems like he could have climbed to above the fog. Maybe that wasn't an option due to the proximity of LAX and jetliners
Posted by WPBTiger
Parts Unknown
Member since Nov 2011
31269 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:43 am to
Not a pilot, but they where in a helicopter. Could he not have done a controlled or slow descent? You can pretty much land a helicopter anywhere.
Posted by TigerFanInSouthland
Louisiana
Member since Aug 2012
28065 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:45 am to
If you’ve never ridden in a helicopter, every minor amount of turbulence makes you feel like your stomach is going to fall out of your arse and that the helicopter is going to go down.

Helicopters fricking suck.
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
119562 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:45 am to
Listened to the ATC. Certainly appears to be pilot error. No explanation as to why he did what he did. Hope he wasn't trying to show off for his passengers or something.
Posted by Mid Iowa Tiger
Undisclosed Secure Location
Member since Feb 2008
18756 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:45 am to
quote:

Kobe's chopper appeared to first encounter weather issues as it was above the L.A. Zoo.


The first circles were an approximate 15 minute hold for an inbound flight and a go around at the airport.

The rest was not a good sign. When they dropped below radar and radio the shite hit the fan.
Posted by yankeeundercover
Buffalo, NY
Member since Jan 2010
36378 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 9:46 am to
quote:

flight pattern was just weird and all over the place
What expertise do you have to determine that this flight pattern was “weird”?
Posted by LSUAlum2001
Stavro Mueller Beta
Member since Aug 2003
47154 posts
Posted on 1/27/20 at 10:15 am to
quote:

We know the pilot contacted the control tower at Burbank Airport around 9:30 AM PT, and the tower was aware the pilot had been circling for about 15 minutes. The pilot eventually headed north along the 118 freeway before turning to the west, and started following above the 101 freeway around Woodland Hills, CA.


I listened to the communications.

He was in a holding pattern as directed by the air traffic control to allow the air space to clear so he could proceed towards his destination.

Once he was told to proceed, as he was being switched from one control tower to the next, they lost contact and crashed.
This post was edited on 1/27/20 at 10:19 am
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