The NTSB recently published its final report on the accident of N72EX, and so the "Basketball Tragedy" video had to be updated. This new video features better information about what happened on board the flight. Once again, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones on board the helicopter. 😢
@@SticksAandstonesBozo Because a shit ton of work has to be put in to figure this stuff out - the why, how, who, when, etc. After crashes, they literally put aircraft back together piece by piece. And I mean every single piece. That is one reason; I am sure it’s not the only one.
The single most important qualification of a commercial aviator is the courage to say "No!". It may cost you a job or two, but it will also on occasion save your life.
@@heytherebato That's life, it does. I've been fired for doing what they taught us at the CRM classes, I've declared myself "unfit for flight" when I was feeling really poorly. Corporate culture can be very harsh.
The helicopter flew over my house in Burbank shortly before crashing. As a pilot I remember looking up and seeing it and thinking "what fool is flying in these conditions." The helicopter had to stay way too low because of the clouds. It was the thickest layer I had seen in years. Trying to scud run in VFR was just asking for a tragedy to happen. It was 100% an IFR only type of day.
Isn’t there someone that says, no IFR flights today? We have government agencies for everything it seems. If there is then why didn’t they ground IFR flights or at the very least have pilots avoid that area knowing the weather was to bad.
@@gbpg2016 I think you mean VFR, not IFR. These conditions were fine for IFR. And yes, there are rules for when you can fly VFR and they were not met. The towers controllers would not have cleared him for VFR and they did not. The problem is the pilot here used SVFR or SpecialVFR. These let you fly VFR is conditions that are well below normal VFR weather. They are supposed to only be used to either quickly get to good weather for takeoff or landing or if the weather changes fast and you can no longer fly VFR. The pilot used it as a trick to fly in bad weather and not what it is intended for. But also, the controllers can not see what is happening everywhere so it is really on the pilot anywhere except in airport areas to follow the rules and maintain VFR flight. We can only speculate as to why the pilot did what he did, but in the end it was abhorrent decision making that got 7 people killed.
I remember that day well, my friend spent the previous night at my house because the fog was so thick we couldn't even see down the block. By the morning it was manageable to drive in, but still way too dense to fly in. Mr. Zobayan should've diverted to Whiteman and called an Uber XL to finish the job. Such a shame.
Lol. "When the weather is bad we will only let pilots fly visually. And if the weather is good we will make all pilots black out their windows." -former FAA employee who wanted to do less work.
Scariest thing about flying isn’t so much the mechanical aspects of an aircraft but the fact that you are at the mercy of one or a few persons that can ultimately make grave mistakes that cost lives.
With the amount of commercial jets flying around the world on a daily basis it's a marvel of human ingenuity that more of them don't go down.... in saying all that I'd rather walk to my destination than get in a small plane or helicopter. Those things seem to fall out of the sky like raindrops.
I remember that morning it was so incredibly foggy that even driving seemed dangerous. That a helicopter was allowed to fly in those conditions is absolutely nuts
Totally fine if on an IFR flight plan and the pilot is IFR current. No problem at all. I know the helicopter was not IFR certified at that point in time, I think I read somewhere that the pilot was not current. That's a very different thing. Every six months I have to log six instrument approaches to maintain currency. The FAA prefers that I go out and fly in real conditions, which means that from the final approach fix to the end of the runway I can't see the runway for part of the flight. Where I am located, the FaFs are all at 2,000 feet, so clouds have to be lower than that for me to log an actual approach. There are other options, but doing it in real conditions is good experience and the FAA encourages that. Most police helicopters are going to need VFR conditions. Can't chase cars or criminals while in the clouds, LOL.
I still can't understand why the pilot flew in those conditions. He continued circling instead of turning back to the airport, until the fog lifted. We may never know!
@@tamrabrown3261 He wanted to please. He’d always gotten Kobe to his destination before. Kobe wouldn’t fly with any other pilot. He really trusted this guy. Oops…
I understand. It must have been a very difficult decision to decide to fly in heavy fog, that day! I'm sure that he was an experienced pilot, otherwise; Kobe would not have hired him!
The pressure of having Kobe on board and having to say "hey Kobe, No can do today, get a limo to take you" is what caused the crash. The courage to do that is harder than flying any machine. It's a risk he took and had he landed safely, we wouldn't be talking about it. Unfortunately, the gamble wasn't favorable this time and the scary thing is that this is happening today as we speak and we don't hear about it because they are landing safely but sooner or later...another one will make a bad decision.
That’s an assumption that you clearly are just making up. You knew Kobe personally? You ever her fly him ANYWHERE? The fuckin nerve of everyone including you just assuming that kobe would’ve fired the guy for telling him it was not safe to fly fuckin baffles my mind. How stupid does that sound?
@@ThePancakee Yeah but dont you know, Kobe was FAR TOO GOOD to sit in a car! He used to demand to take the chopper even if he was just going a mile down the road. I guarantee the pilot never wanted to fly but Kobe gave him no choice, either fly or loose your job and never work in this town again.
@@luisn818 what? What the hell are you talking about? Lmfao. I’m not going to even justify replying to you. That was the dumbest comment I have read in a while. Go back and read what I wrote. Who the hell said anything about Kobe’s reaction? And fired who? The helicopter belonged to a company who hired the pilot. Not Kobe. Are you a pilot? If not, Stfu.
For anyone unaware: spatial disorientation is arguably a pilot's worst enemy. At certain altitudes and within certain settings/environments, pilots can become so disoriented that their senses are removed from reality, and by the time they notice that they've been betrayed by their senses, it's often too late. It's why pilots are trained to trust their instruments over their senses. Spatial disorientation has led to so many crashes, including the one that killed JFK Jr.
Well, evidently this one either didnt train himself enough, or got to complacent due to years of experience "flying with his eyes", as in relying on way too much looking out the window instead of looking at the instruments. I say this b/c in the video he clearly says he is climbing, when in actuality he was descending. While personally not a pilot, I have experienced something similar scuba diving in very poor visibility, and getting vertigo and not knowing my depth except by my depth gauge [aka vertigo].
Spatial disorientation......yeah maybe in 1960...today we have computers...and controll towers to stop this from happening...face the pilot dropped the ball and do did the tower
As a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot and Marine Flight instructor who spent most of that time conducting instrument flight training, this just makes my head hurt. Why didn’t he bring another pilot with him? If another pilot wasn’t available, sometimes you gotta say “Nope. Not in this”
Conditions at John Wayne Airport were ok at time of departure. Part of the problem was that Island Express or Ara didn’t have a contingency plan if things went south. He had an opportunity to land at Van Nuys but instead tried to scud run, probably due to get-there-itis.
@@stellarwind1946 He also had an opportunity to follow route 118, which was clear at the time and would have got him to within two miles of his destination. I presume that he preferred his known route along 101.
@@hb1338 I fly out of KCMA regularly, and the 101 is the best route under VFR for him because it takes him within a half mile. Problem is you can be in great VFR conditions East of the Conejo grade and then right at the top it can go IFR as the Conejo Valley holds the layer. In my opinion he was doing ok until he reached the point where he started his climb. In his current conditions, he should have known if he had enough experience with the area that the chance of finding a hole in the layer that thick to descend through from 4000 would be extremely unlikely, and that a climb in IMC (instrument meteorological conditions) was a violation in itself. I fly fixed wing, so Im not sure at his low altitude if he would have been able to pick up Camarillo's ATIS (automated terminal information service) which provides the weather. Mountains might have blocked the signal. He also had other options with an app that most pilots have called ForeFlight that could have supplied that information both pre and in flight. Lastly, I also agree with poster "just fearless" that upon approaching that IMC wall, a 180° turn back to Van Nuys was the best option for everyone. Ive had to explain to passengers before that the weather is bad and the risk is great. Their response that you're not willing to risk their safety has always been positive. I would hope that getting a limo from VNY would have still got them there close to schedule, and KB wouldn't have complained.
Obviously I'm not a pilot, but once the cloud ceiling was lower than the closest to the ground he could fly due to land elevation rising, then you just turn around and say, hey Van Nuys, got a parking spot?. Then get them a cab for the last 10 miles. That is what common sense person would do. Every decision up to that point was ok, then suddenly not, and suddenly dead.
I still remember that morning. My job at that time required me wake up early. The fog was so thick I could hardly see down the road I was driving on. When my coworker told me about this tragedy, I intuitively thought about the fog I saw. RIP to everyone on that helicopter.
Agreed. It is more dangerous when you are flying because you are still in the air, and you aren't worried about horizontal collisions but also vertical collisions.
Can't believe it's been almost 2 years, feels like it was just yesterday when I heard this news at the office. RIP to Kobe, his daughter and all those who died at the crash.
When I was 10 my grandfather who was a pilot said - Son, if you ever become a pilot, stay out of clouds, mountains have been known to hang out in clouds...
My grampa told me, son if you're in a helicopter and you're flying blind, stop your forward motion and go straight up until your elevation is higher than mount Everest. Grampa was smart that way.........
@@K131399cool story bro. Ur poppy was captain hindsight too? Everyone and their grand dad is a expert pilot all of a sudden. Pilots fly with 0 visibility. Thats what instruments and gps are for. Ppl crash in clear sunny days. It was a bad accident. It diesnt mean ur grand dad knows what hes talking about.
@@mi5iu491my grandpa who was a pilot told me son, if you ever fly a helicopter make sure the day before you get plenty of PUSSY cat because your never know when it might be your last time.
At my old workplace, Kobe was a semi-regular visitor. Our valet attendants loved him. He was chill. Dropped a $300 tip on them every time he parked up. Our entire business was devastated. Some people just broke down and wept where they stood, and a few had to go home. It was a sad, sad day for us.
I still remember this day vividly. The worst thing about this tragedy was the way new outlets handled it. Vanessa Bryant found out about her husband and child's death the same way we did and that's so sickening
Respect to you, people get caught up in celebrities, some dont remember they had to crawl before they could walk like everyone else. They all perished together so each life was special to their loved ones. May they all rest in peace.
Pilots are unsung heros everyday. When I land after a safe flight, I thank God and I make sure I thank the pilot and give him a fist bump. Pilots are human and they are not immune to the daily pressures and stresses of life. You never know if they are going through something at home, with the wife, kids, parents, etc. A simple appreciative thank you and a smile goes a long way.
What a refreshing comment. While it’s important for the cause of safety to place blame where it belongs, that is not to demonize a pilot for her/his mistakes that lead to tragedy.
Before, in the 70's, 80's, 90's, passengers on flights used to give big applauds to the pilots after landing. Then we read that pilots hate it, that it shouldn't be a surprise to the passengers that the pilot managed to land the plane😁peole stopped clapping and the last 20years I haven't heard anyone clap, allthough, in my mind I clap so hard that my brains expload every time...
I visited home when my daughter was about 9 months old. On the return flight, I waited for everyone else to get off, because I had luggage, her car seat and her. It was alot. The captain making sure everyone was off saw me struggling and grabbed my daughter and her car seat. When we finally emerged behind the last passengers, her dad was all jealous 🤣. Apparently that captain got a huge thrill out of carrying my baby and her seat 😏. That was 22 years ago, and I still remember that random moment of kindness.
90 minutes saved, 9 lives lost! THIS is the most important message and lesson to learn here. For all kinds of transportation: It is (fogging) NEVER worth it.
Let this terrible tragedy be a hard lesson to anyone who believes its safe to fly in less than ideal conditions next time they fly. Rest in peace Kobe, Gianna and the other souls.
I am from SoCal. Driven through the Calabassas hills on 101 many times. So often the fog is so thick you cannot see the front of your car! RIP to all who lost their lives.
I was snowboarding and my eyes are only 5' 7" off the ground all while feeling the snowy earth under my board, yet the thick fog caused serious disorientation. I can't imagine what it is like thousands of feet up in the air. Tragic for everyone onboard. Thick fog is no joke.
It's no joke, but also no problem for an instrument-rated pilot who's maintained proficiency. Unfortunately, the accident pilot had fallen out of proficiency.
I was a member at Mamba Sports Academy and went to the gym that day not knowing what had happened it was a regular day for me until I walked in and what usually was hundreds of people in the gym working out, playing basketball or others watching w loud music blasting through out the facility was dead silence except for the sobbing and screams of young girls upstairs 💔 so sad 😭 a moment I’ll never forget RIP to all
Thank you “Flight Channel” for these AMAZING real life graphics and 3D visual renderings of this (and so many other) crash. What a terrible, preventable tragedy for All of the families. Not just the Bryant family. I’m so sorry for all. May GOD Bless those who died, and all that were left behind.
One thing I never managed to understand is the odd way pilots react when they cannot see the ground and get spatially disoriented. Instead of doing the logical thing of looking at the instruments they will instead be distracted by looking harder out of the window for some visual cues for their orientation. The only way to overcome that faulty instinct is rigorous training with lots of practice, which is of course what instrument rated pilots do.
Very good comment.As humans we naturally look to see where we are.It must be difficult to fly on instruments because by default you are no longer actually looking where you are or going.Easier said than done.I have flown a light aircraft and even in broad daylight you may think you are flying straight and level whereby you may actually be climbing or banking etc.
Trust your instruments , trust your instruments ,trust your instruments ,trust your instruments ,trust your instruments , trust your instruments, trust your instruments,repeat this over and over so many times you can’t get it out of your head even when you are making love to a beautiful woman or man depending on your preference . It should be the first thought when you wake up and the last thought when you go to bed as a young instrument rated pilot . If you are not instrument rated same applies other than you should never press the weather ever!.
It's because that's what you are trained to do when you only fly VFR. The training for look and trust your instruments comes when getting IFR certified.
It is a natural instinct. The brain needs to "visually" see to confirm. It's like a reflex. That's why flying under the hood, or on a sim in IMC, very regularly is important; to help your brain and body learn what to do and what not to do. If you've ever flown in IMC it is something you never forget, especially if you have an instructor demonstrate what spatial disorientation actually feels like so you can acknowledge when it happens again. It's unreal.
I’m a commercial helicopter pilot with instrument rating. I also spent 31 years in the army, 20 of them as a maintenance test pilot (helicopters). This flight should have not taken place under VFR conditions (visual flight rules). This helicopter has autopilot and should have been filed under IFR flight plan (Instrument Flight Rules). I’m also crash investigator trained. I’m guessing the pilot was uncomfortable with autopilot system and IFR conditions. I’ve recently learned he was a very experienced instrument pilot but he was not allowed to file IFR due to the company he worked for not having the certifications. Tragic.
IFR conditions weren't allowed with this company. VFR only if I remember correctly. Plus no TAWS and he didn't want to get fined etc. Sad circumstance all around 😭
@@13ritneyanne Terrible judgment call cost so many lives, but I hope many others can learn from this. I’ve seen so many preventable accidents over my career. I currently serve as the Aviation Safety Officer for worldwide aircraft manufacturer. We are very methodical about safety considerations during development and testing. This business can kill you in an instance.
@@verticle2612 I bet! The craziest part to me is the chain of events that had to go wrong in order for this tragedy to happen. Just heartbreaking all around! I'll never forget that day.
just before he began his final ascent, I believed he told the tower he was going to fly IFR, because he had to break through the cloud cover, so he began to climb.
Damn! The media acted as though Kobe and his daughter GiGi were the ONLY ones aboard that helicopter. There were a total of NINE people on board that were killed in that accident.
It is very difficult to say “no” to these high profile clients. I always thought it was ridiculous to take a helicopter for these insanely short distances because you didn’t want to deal with traffic. Helicopters are difficult to fly and take great skill but this is celebrity privilege at its worst.
Well if you can't say no, there is nothing stopping you from constantly checking that clock that tells you your hight, or how close are you from hitting the bloody ground, specially when you find yourself in foggy conditions, for so much is known of what can happen when you find yourself in foggy conditions while flying VFR, wouldn't that be one of the most important things learned in flying school,, can't understand how he didn't do that most important of things , like how hard could that be, for when I drive I'm constantly checking my speed, specially when speed limits are changing!
This isn't celebrity privilege in any way whatsoever, this is someone who has earned their money by working incredibly hard and being the best at what they do, paying an insane amount of money for a flight in a helicopter. People take joy rides all the time for no reason at all. If you pay for it and you earned it, it's not a privilege. You just clearly hate celebrities and anyone more successful than you. The helicopter company is a business offering these flights at a cost, they aren't giving them away for charity. The blame for this accident ONLY lies with the pilot for choosing to fly in the given conditions and the company who hired him, NO blame goes to anyone else onboard.
The morning of his death. I heard his helicopter buzzing around Burbank waiting for the ATC. Those helicopters are very very loud so it woke me up and I sat there and watched the helicopter fly around before it left shortly after. I was super devastated when I found out it was Kobe, Gigi and their friends in that helicopter.
As a former CH-53 crewchief in the marines, we know that with helos, if you have any major mechanical failure in your engines you're dead. I don't know why people go up in those things for fun. I lost too many friends to those to ever want to step foot in one again. RIP to those lost in this tragedy.
I've been in OH58C and UH60L when they practiced autorotation landings with engine(s) at idle. OH58 was fun but UH60 not so much. Keeping minimum 60kts forward speed till under 20' then flaring in Blackhawk is maximum pucker factor. Deadstick landing in a CH53 sounds like a nightmare.
Correction. If you have major mechanical failure with the transmission you are dead. as long as your rotor system is able to turn you can safely autorotate to the ground
There was no mechanical failure. It was pilot disorientation due to lack of visibility. Basically, pilot went blind in mid-air. I served in the Marines, 3rd MAW, MWSS 374, which supported a squadron of CH-53s. I was an electronic technician who repaired equipment in a mobile weather office.
I didn’t mean to say they had engine failure, I was just saying if anything majorly goes wrong you’re going down hard and probably not surviving. I probably lost more friends to pilot error than actual mechanical failure, but other than rumors we were never outright told what went wrong when those instances occurred. I was at HMH-465 on MCAS Miramar. I hope to god they never takeV-22s to civilian market because we all know what kind of death traps those POS are.
This was Island’s most experienced pilot, and he flew into IMC in an aircraft without TAWS. Also, if this guy had been an instrument pilot, they would all probably still be alive. When you can’t see, your instruments are the only way to fly.
He WAS Instrument rated at the time of the incident. Research before you type. I agree it was his fault, with partial blame on Island Express too. They require 2 pilots for IFR operations, yet neglected to provide Ara with a copilot knowing the weather better than he did. But yes, he was PIC and still made the choice to go. RIP everyone involved, too many souls taken too early.
@@Cpt.JohnnyBravo My mistake, he was instrument rated AND an instructor..and still couldn't tell from his altimeter that he was descending while telling ATC he was climbing. No TAWS, no second pilot. Island was completely negligent here.
@Julian Martov when you’ve been looking outside for the whole flight (SVFR) and then get in the clouds unexpectedly or can’t avoid them, it’s a natural reaction to look outside to orient yourself. Your brain does this like a reflex. I’m not saying that’s the appropriate thing to do while flying into IMC (intentionally or not), but it’s understandable at the very least. Yes, look at and trust your instruments. Yes, it’s his fault for taking to the sky that day. This was avoidable for sure, but with all of his training and ratings it just proves it can happen to anyone.
@@mitchellsmith4601 yeah it’s just sad all around. If anything it just shows it can happen to anyone. The past few years have been crazy with accidents, most of them experienced aviators. Also, sadly I had the chance to have talked with this pilot several times before this day. Worked at Atlantic Aviation at KSNA. He was a good dude, a lot of good stuff going on outside of his work life. Just again shows that it can happen to anyone. Flying aircraft can be very unforgiving as I’m sure you know lol
I heard the helicopter flying near my house “by van nuys airport “ I was outside letting my dog out. I’m used to helicopters all the time , but this one was low and louder than others. R . I . P to all the souls on board.
This just popped up on my feed today (4 year anniversary) and I still can't believe this. I'll watch his highlights every now and then on here and there's those few moments where I completely forget he's not here anymore. I can't imagine what the pain the family members go through every day losing their loved ones like this. What a loss man
I always feel bad when the crash is due to pilot error. I always feel bad for the family of those pilots. I understand that their mistakes cause other people to lose their lives but I can’t imagine what it must be like to have people blaming your own son or daughter for a crash. The last memory they have of their son/daughter/uncle/aunt is them making one mistake that leads to the deaths of tens or hundreds of other people and that being the only thing people remember them for. “Oh yeah I remember that name in the news, that’s the pilot that screwed up and got everyone killed” I can’t even imagine what that must be like
You can't imagine? It seems like that's what you did for about 10 minutes while writing this trash comment. Come on now, you're doing what you said you would hate to have happen. Smh for real. Why even say it? What if his family is in here looking at this video? Here's your goofy comment and all you're doing is virtue signaling. The most tragic part of a death is all the people who feign emotions that don't belong to them for the purposes of showing the world how good of a person they are.. your comment is really astounding..
@@chuckdeuces911 my god you are such a troll get a life thats more interesting than negging everyone on stating their opinion- youve offered nothing here
I'm probably the only one that only feel sad for the passengers and not the pilot. Everyone can make mistakes yes but this was his actual choice which caused the accident. He should prioritise safety which he didn't.
I appreciate the guys with actual knowledge and experience commenting here. Thank you. Eternal rest to all of them who perished. This was such a sad day. 💔
Exactly what I said. For once I can hear every word an ATC is saying! Sometimes I can’t understand how they can make out more than every other word at best. It’s all jumbled together. But I realize time is of the essence and they have to be quick.
I remember the morning of Kobe’s passing I had gotten off a really late night shift, on the inland empire so relatively close to LA/calabases and let me tell you it was sooo foggy to the point where I had to pull over and wait for the fog to die down, which I never do ever. Didn’t think a tragedy of this magnitude would happen just hours later. RIP to the late great Kobe and others lost in this tragic accident
It was super foggy that morning all across SoCal. I live in Orange County where Kobe lived and where he departed from and the night before as well as the morning of the crash I distinctly remember saying the fog was spooky. I got up that morning to go hiking in the local Santa Ana Mountains and heard about the crash on the radio. I immediately assumed fog was to blame.
When they told the pilot of the route change, he said sure no problem....as we know now, big problem. One you are going to thread a needle between mountains, and its getting foggier. I think the reason he had to press on and take the risk is because, if he told kobe, look im sorry we are coming up on thick fog and I'm not certified to fly by instrument, he knew kobe would have been upset that he had not check the weather, and kobe would have asked for a pilot that is certified with instrument to fly him in the future.
The same experience of that morning up here in LA. Saw the breaking news about his helicopter crashing outside of LA, stepped out on my patio to look up at the low clouds and fog, and knew that was it.
@@CooManTunes of course the people that could tell us what was said are dead, but if we are making assumptions, let's assume kobe was not demanding. But its fair to assume that had the pilot told kobe that they had to go back and all this flying so far was waisted time because he was not certified to fly with instruments...its fair to think that kobe would have been upset and requested a pilot that could fly with instruments.
I've done this type of thing in helicopters a lot. Going down (landing) is always an option when weather gets low but going up into the clouds is not, especially in mountainous terrain. This accident sadly was 100 percent pilot error in weather-related decision making. I have had the exact same thing happen and search-and-rescue was scrambled. When the weather got unimaginably low, I landed in a little clearing and loss of radar and comm resulted in the search-and-rescue response. I had to explain it the FAA but told them I'd do the exact same thing again because the alternate was death. FAA gave me a pass. RIP all the people on board that helicopter. We all make mistakes but helicopters do not forgive.
The most perplexing part of this to me, is it's a helicopter. You can set it down almost anywhere. Declare an emergency, land, and live! You may lose a client. You may break some rules. You may have to answer questions in an investigation. But you survived. The fact that this was completely avoidable only adds to the tragedy.
When they left Orange County, the forecast and weather reports were already saying it was probably not going to be doable, but they took off anyway, hoping that things would change en route. They were already behind schedule because of the hold south-east of Burbank. Nobody wants to be the pilot who says, "Mr. Bryant, we're going to land here and get you into a limo for the rest of the trip - sorry that will make you another two hours late." Instead, you think "I'll just go a little bit farther and see if things get better. It's a helicopter. I can set it down anywhere if we really get into trouble." Anyone who has been on a long road trip and found themselves nodding behind the wheel and didn't pull off to sleep for a few hours but pushed on because they were "almost there" is guilty of exactly the same thing.
It's been 2 years and it still doesn't feel real. RIP to everyone that lost their lives. Every time I drive past that area in Calabasas I think of them...
And while I have the upmost respect to first responders, in this case the fact that even one of them took pics of the deceased at the scene for their personal gratification (which I believe was only exposed after one first responder shared the pics w/a woman in a bar he was allegedly trying to impress who came forward) was shocking. I know they were disciplined for their actions however the fact that people in that position would exploit such a tragedy is really disturbing.
its crazy how many ppl know exactly what they did when they heared the news and that its over two years, bc it feels like it was just a few weeks ago. thank you for making this video.
I remember leaving Orange County for a trip up north to Bakersfield to visit an old friend that morning. The fog was dense, probably the worst I had seen in my entire time living in SoCal. As I was passing through LA the fog kept getting thicker, I had to squint and look hard to see 5 feet ahead of my windshield. It was terrifying to drive in, I could only imagine flying. RIP Kobe, Gigi, and everyone else that tragically lost their life that day. You will be missed ❤️
And that's the saddest thing about when you have a society where people don't care about each other like they would themselves. And as a result I thought that's just the way it is in life. But then a few years back I travelled to Japan... and amazingly, I found people there care about the next person like they care about themselves. So its possible. There has to be a psychological cultural shift here. I sincerely mean that. Regarding this video, I didn't understand 10:26 to 11:39. Was it the ATC guy signed off his shift and told them to wait for his replacement? Did I hear and read that wrong? If im right its bizarre not waiting to get off your shift until after you've helped the copter through.
@@noelleonard2498 I've been known as a cynic by friends. Well, hey, until someone shows me I can trust them, why would I give them the benefit of the doubt? I don't put anything past anyone. People are capable of great good. But they are also capable of great bad. I'll admit that I trusted more in Japan. After that, my guard went back up.
I flew offshore in the gulf of Mexico for a decade on multiple types of helicopters but this identical one for many years. Fog was the worst and rarely did we ever fly in it. When we did there were two pilots using there instruments. This should of been avoided. RIP
Mother Nature is a dangerous playground if you ignore all signs. She will let you know she is still in charge. Sometimes, short cuts aren’t the best way. RIP legend Kobe, we will miss you.
I was at my grandma's house when this happened and I remember she received a phone call saying Kobe Bryant died and once I heard her say those words out loud I couldn't believe it and it was all over the news... rip Kobe Gianna and the 7 others on board
I'm not a pilot and my helo experience is mostly as a Huey crewchief in the sixties. The better pilots in my company were also fixed-wing experienced, and many were IFR qualified as well. The conventional wisdom among them was, (1) you can't fly by touch and feel, you need to see. (2) Therefore, IFR in a helicopter mostly means "I follow roads." and (3) in dense fog, even with instruments, it's 9 to 1 you'll be upside down within 90 seconds.
I cannot help but cry. Feeling as though I was right their with them in their final moments. Chills and a Total out of body experience. So heartbreaking. May these amazing lives rest with the Lord and the families heal.
I drove through that exact area in the mountains at 9:30 and it was thick white fog. Almost like milk. I could barely see anything in front of me while driving. It was exceptional and I had that thought that it was so thick, I hadn’t seen it that bad before. I’m still not over this tragedy. It’s just devastating
I know that area well. I am a fixed wing out of Oxnard. In those conditions I am well above the obscuration (VFR) at 3000. Surface obscuration around Calabasas/Thousand Oaks can be horrendous. His altimeter indicated MSL not AGL. That poor fellow got disoriented and didn't even know it. It just makes me so very sad. RIP to those poor souls and their families. Well done video!!
I don’t l know about America or GA flying really only commercial flying in Europe, why would any pilot not in the immediate vicinity of an airport have their altimeter set to anything but MSL? Sure in the circuit you can set to QFE but that’s a very GA way of flying and a commercial pilot should know better
I was an air evac paramedic in the militery and we did trips to new mexixo and texas. Militery helicoppter pilots are the best. they can get thru any type of terrain and they knew thier stuff- It was an honor flying with them
@@CooManTunes nope. The pilots is 100x more important than Kobe I talked to a 30yr helo pilot today at work. I asked him about Kobe’s pilot. He said that is one super dumb ass
This happened not far from my house. The weird thing about it was that the night before I was driving a friend home and I literally told her that "this is the kind of weather that gets pilots killed". Living right where he was flying I can tell you that there is no way he was BFR at 1500 feet. I live at 1800 feet and we were in the soup. Could not see my neighbors house across the street. Very sad the innocent people had to die because of something that has pilots learned in the first few hours of flying.
I remember that morning perfectly two hours earlier I drove by that area on the 101 fwy and it was so foggy that all the traffic had slowed down for a min just to get some visibility. Just to be driving at that moment was extremely dangerous
Why are you plastering the same comment all over RUclips? You’re not a helicopter pilot, and your language and lack of knowledge give you away. Stop lying, and just have the guts to give an honest, amateur opinion.
Very poor judgment of the pilot. He should not have taken off. However, after takeoff, in bad weather, he could have turned around and all live to see another day. R.I.P.
Sounds similar with what happened to the Argentinian player who crashed in the channel, the pilot didn't even have a current licence and no training to fly at night. Was also doing a visual flight, became disorientated and crashed into the channel.
@@anthonyd5189 Yup. Just the way it is, he probably really didn't think the fog would be THAT big of an issue as he was a experienced pilot. Probably thought if he returned back with Kobe Bryant he would lose his job and felt that pressure to do it anyway. Such a sad bunch of events that took 9 lives :(
The pilot had little choice in the matter. Either take off or get fired by someone like Kobe and never work as a pilot in that town again. He probably needed that job to feed his family and felt it was the only option. You have to put any love you may have for Kobe due to his basketball skills aside and understand the type of man he really was. He was an arrogant POS that thought he was better than everyone else and insisted on always getting his way no matter what, regardless of the cost. He wouldnt even sit in a car for a short 5 min drive 2 miles down the street. He in his own words claimed he was too good to sit in traffic. 100% of the blame goes on Kobe. Every life lost in that accident was on him and nobody else.
Yup. He didn’t even have to turn around they passed at least 3 airports and in reality you can land a helicopter anywhere especially for safety. The pilots ego and pride got them killed. What a bone head
When you think about the gravity of what was lost on that day over a ridiculous basketball game that couldn’t have been more inconsequential to any of their futures the tragedy becomes all the more upsetting and unfortunate. They should have never left to go to a game that simply didn’t matter. The cost was incalculable.
So true. It was the perfect storm of unfortunate events. Gianna and her friends feel like they absolutely must make it to the game. Therefore, they put pressure on Kobe and the other dads/coaches. Kobe and the other dads/coaches thereafter put pressure on the pilot to get them there fast, since they are running late. The pilot then realizes he is transporting a celebrity and so he puts pressure on himself to complete the flight and secure the almost guaranteed cash tip. Kobe could have gotten the girls ready a few hours earlier and driven (or been driven) to the game. That doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t have been struck by a car, truck or bus en route to the game, but it just seems like this whole thing happened because they were running late. If the arena is 2 hours away by car and the weather is so poor, why start heading to the arena half an hour before tipoff? I miss Kobe, man. RIP to every single soul that was on that flight.
….thank u✔️….when I first heard of the weather conditions and I thought about the “ mamba mentality “ smh….no one wants 2 put the blame on Kobe Bryant, alone from I think the chopper was sabotaged, I put it all on Bryant ✔️….
I go offroad exploring often and I live by the quote "If you have to ask"... I've only found myself in dangerous situations when I decided to take a risk that I contemplated.
Usually it takes multiple freak coincidences for tragedies to happen. Makes you think like: If you late be late, don’t drive excessively fast, otherwise you put yourself in those rare scenarios. Trust your gut and be safe.
Could you do a video about the Leicester city ,UK football clubs Thai owner and his helicopter crash that killed him and 5 others departing from the stadium packed with 30.000 fans,would be very interesting video and provide closure to a lot of people in Leicester who miss him very much. Please.
Oh man incredible video thank you so much for posting. That was horrific to watch and know they're hurtling to to the ground when the pilot thought they were flying to four thousand feet. So terrible for all passengers. I pray the good Lord blesses and keeps those poor people.
6 days later, that helicopter crash will commemorate the 2nd anniversary. In memory of Kobe Bryant, his 2nd daughter and the other people and the pilot on board that helicopter.
First, condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy. An entire family, minus one daughter who was away at college IIRC, died that day. I don't see this fact mentioned enough. Second, I hope all pilots learned something. Passengers NEVER dictate the flight. I don't care if it's the President of the United States in the back -- passengers are passengers and pilots are pilots.
"An entire family, minus one daughter who was away at college IIRC, died that day. I don't see this fact mentioned enough." To most people commenting here, Kobe and his daughter were the important ones on the flight. The family that perished, as well as the pilot, are slightly more important than an after thought.
They also failed to mention another person on that flight who was just as important as the ready of them. Christina Mauser was one of the coaches as well as a wife and a mother. She left behind young children and a devoted husband. How can they just “forget” about another person??
The morning of the crash, my mom had called me to tell me how foggy it was. I happened to be driving out and was in Arizona that morning. She was telling me to be careful driving if I was already in California. That's sort of telling how thick the fog was to fly in.
You’re right about how thick the fog was. That part you’re not exaggerating. If anything this is an understatement. But what you’ve failed to mention here is that it wasn’t even remotely foggy until after the helicopter took off and it formed in such vast quantities that it could literally be seen from space and in just the wrong place at the wrong time.
This just broke my heart!! I literally jumped when the aircraft crashed. This brought that flight to life and I could only imagine how terrified they have been if only for a split second!! May not only Kobe Bryant but his daughter, the children, parents and the pilot forever be in our hearts!!! There has been so many lives lost due to private flights where pilots should have made the decision to put their foot down and said no because conditions weren't suitable to fly. Like the day Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens died. It was literally a blizzard!! People need to stop being so star struck and start making more responsible decisions when It comes to these things!!
Your implication that celebrity had anything to do with this accident is misplaced. There is no evidence that the pilot treated Bryant _et al_ any differently than he would have treated other passengers, nor that the pilot had to combat any external pressure and “put his foot down.”
I refuse to spew conjecture & hate at the dead. I wasn’t present & don’t know the pilot’s thoughts or the thoughts of anyone who was in the helicopter on that fateful day. This is still painful. My heart goes out to the families & friends who live with the pain of this tragedy every day. Rest In Peace to all the deceased who where on the flight. 🕊
I can’t believe it’s almost been two years since then, rip to Kobe and everyone else who died in this crash and too the families of the victims my deepest condolences 😢❤️
I remember when I found out about Kobe...I was in disbelief, and I have lost many people over the years...We are all human and life is life...Anything can happen at any moment...R.I.P to all who perished that day x
An entirely avoidable accident. One of the first things they taught us in flight school about VFR is to stay the hell away from clouds for this very reason
It seems like they never knew what hit them, so it was quick and the bodies were burned. Unbelievable they let a star athlete of this caliber go up in a helicopter that did not have taws. Also shameful was the LA sheriff's department taking pictures of Kobe's body to send to friends. DISGUSTING!!
I think the comment that was interesting to me was where they said if they chose to fly IFR only, they would have been moved to the bottom of the flight traffic 'priority' list which would have delayed the typical 30 minute flight. To me, that seemed like the first sign that they were 1000% about getting their 'high value' client to their destination on time.
To all the insensitive fools stating this was somehow on Kobe, nowhere does a report say he was forceful and pushy about flying. As a person with many hours I can tell you, this is on that pilot and company alone! Period. No one can make you fly! I was always taught that if you don’t get off the ground that day, it was an awesome day!
You clearly know nothing about the kind of personality Bryant had or his history with previous pilots who didn't do what he asked. Get off your high horse.
I remember taking my commercial multi engine airplane check ride that same morning at the Camarillo airport. With a seasoned pilot examiner (DPE) and an instrument cert already earned, we were able to perform the flight because we were able to obtain proper IFR clearances to get above the clouds with ease to perform my test, but I remember it being the lowest fog level and thickest clouds I had ever flown in to date. And I was at the airport around 5:30am until we flew around 9:30-10am, and monitored the weather the entire time. No way for VFR at Camarillo where they were headed. And when I landed and the DPE told me I had passed I was ecstatic... only to walk into the FBO and see the news that Kobe had died while I was in my checkride. That quickly turned into a dark bittersweet morning 😢
I believe pilot was a fan and was talking to kobe. There is no way he was focused and just forgot about looking at his gauges. That's literally the most important thing when flying VFR. It still doesnt make sense to me.
Allegedly, Kobe was tough on his pilots, so I don't think "self-induced pressure" is accurate. He probably felt like he had to complete the flight to keep his job. And it cost 9 lives. Which is not to say he has no blame or even most of the blame, but some people just act like it's sooooo easy to quit your job or get fired when for many, it is not.
I remember that morning. What's odd is that the conditions didn't make flying that much faster then driving. On Sundays 9am a car could've done that trip in around 70 minutes-- the freeways are super empty at that time.
He trusted his pilot and this was nothing out of the ordinary for him. I think had the pilot fully explained that severity of weather conditions Kobe would have called off the flight
Pilot sounded a bit stressed and nervous, very early in the flight, in fact his first verbal communication with ATF sounded very shaky. Seems like shortly after takeoff he was still calm, untill after entering the IFR conditions inadvertently, Kobys family isn’t the only one that is grieving. The pilot's family as well as all of us Kobe fans are too
So u are saying the pilot knew there was a high chance of crashing & killing everyone including himself but thought that was a better alternative than to possibly lose his job by telling Kobe he was more worried about the passengers safety??
How many times do I have to explain this?! None of the weather conditions that you just described were known until after the helicopter took off and were just assumed by the LAPD and air traffic control simply because the sky happened to be gray! I’m sorry to sound like a broken record, but it is what it is!
Just heartbreaking, that wait in Glendale when they still could have landed. Instead it was a wait before tragedy. I bet everyone was all excited talking about basketball, family, and future plans. Not knowing what was about to happen. R.I.P Kobe and GIgi and all the families affected. :(
Eerily I looked outside the window at around 10am that fateful Sunday morning and noticed how foggy the weather was. It was so shocking learning of the news. My whole body went numb…then hours later even more shocking news learning of how many people have died, including Gigi. 💔💔💔 then that same day a friend in San Francisco was riding a motorcycle wearing Kobe’s jersey in his memory was killed in a motorcycle accident. What a horrific day it was!!!!!! I will never forget it.
I was a tactical flight officer in our police helicopter working night patrol in scattered patchy fog with VFR conditions. We were heading towards a call when we flew right into fog. Pilot immediately made a 180 turn went straight to instruments and called tower for special VFR. We were flying with doors off so I stuck my head out and could see streets below. With my knowledge of the city I began calling the intersections to alert pilot of our location. We were both relieved when we saw the rotating airport beacon.
Sad but a classic example of scud running; flying into thick clouds with literally no instruments; so close to terrain.. What a tragedy... many pilots still think they can get away doing this type of 'macho flying'... RIP to all who died; condolences to all families
I’m not a pilot, but keep thinking why isn’t it a hard and fast rule that if you can’t see the horizon or terrain your eyes must be glued to the instruments? It seems that the pilot thought that if he felt confident it would be ok to fly by gut.
@@janimalius Spatial disorientation is deadly. We humans are geared to believe what we can see around us and of our surroundings. Chances are in his state of disorientation, even if he had looked at his instrumentation and had seen that his altimeter indicated a rapid descent, because he couldn't see the ground speeding towards the helicopter, he would've disregarded the readings continuing to believe he is ascending because every fibre of his being is telling him the helicopter is climbing.
@@GaZonk100 you can’t fly by instruments in low, mountainous terrain. Take your eyes off them for a split second and they start turning the wrong way and suddenly you’ve lost control.
The NTSB recently published its final report on the accident of N72EX, and so the "Basketball Tragedy" video had to be updated. This new video features better information about what happened on board the flight. Once again, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones on board the helicopter. 😢
Why does it take years to get this info ? Because like anything else it’s ran by humans. Idiots.
Mamba Forever. 💙
I can never forget this incident😭😭😢😢
@@SticksAandstonesBozo
Because a shit ton of work has to be put in to figure this stuff out - the why, how, who, when, etc. After crashes, they literally put aircraft back together piece by piece. And I mean every single piece.
That is one reason; I am sure it’s not the only one.
Mamba out💗😥
The single most important qualification of a commercial aviator is the courage to say "No!". It may cost you a job or two, but it will also on occasion save your life.
Shouldn’t have to cost you your own job
@@heytherebato actually, it can
@@heytherebato That's life, it does. I've been fired for doing what they taught us at the CRM classes, I've declared myself "unfit for flight" when I was feeling really poorly. Corporate culture can be very harsh.
@@Cloud-js6lf Indeed. It's sadly pretty common. There's always another pilot willing to take on the flight, no matter conditions. 🤢
@@thefreedomguyuk so you're still a pilot or nah?
The helicopter flew over my house in Burbank shortly before crashing. As a pilot I remember looking up and seeing it and thinking "what fool is flying in these conditions." The helicopter had to stay way too low because of the clouds. It was the thickest layer I had seen in years. Trying to scud run in VFR was just asking for a tragedy to happen. It was 100% an IFR only type of day.
Isn’t there someone that says, no IFR flights today? We have government agencies for everything it seems. If there is then why didn’t they ground IFR flights or at the very least have pilots avoid that area knowing the weather was to bad.
@@gbpg2016 I think you mean VFR, not IFR. These conditions were fine for IFR. And yes, there are rules for when you can fly VFR and they were not met. The towers controllers would not have cleared him for VFR and they did not. The problem is the pilot here used SVFR or SpecialVFR. These let you fly VFR is conditions that are well below normal VFR weather. They are supposed to only be used to either quickly get to good weather for takeoff or landing or if the weather changes fast and you can no longer fly VFR. The pilot used it as a trick to fly in bad weather and not what it is intended for. But also, the controllers can not see what is happening everywhere so it is really on the pilot anywhere except in airport areas to follow the rules and maintain VFR flight. We can only speculate as to why the pilot did what he did, but in the end it was abhorrent decision making that got 7 people killed.
I remember that day well, my friend spent the previous night at my house because the fog was so thick we couldn't even see down the block. By the morning it was manageable to drive in, but still way too dense to fly in. Mr. Zobayan should've diverted to Whiteman and called an Uber XL to finish the job. Such a shame.
Lol. "When the weather is bad we will only let pilots fly visually. And if the weather is good we will make all pilots black out their windows." -former FAA employee who wanted to do less work.
I live in LA and I remember this vividly, it was so cloudy/foggy that my first thought when I got the news was “who would fly in this weather”?
Sometimes saying no and disappointing someone is better than doing something you know is wrong
The most used comment on this video.
A.K.A. aaliyah or JFK Jr.
To this day I believe Kobe was flying that helicopter. He never stood back from a challenge and when the pilot said he couldn’t fly Kobe did.
@@ENDWOKEDEGENERACY No because it was the pilot in the helicopter and it crashed with the pilot in the board
Just imagine, had the pilot said no him, Kobe, Gianna and the others would still be alive. Sad
Scariest thing about flying isn’t so much the mechanical aspects of an aircraft but the fact that you are at the mercy of one or a few persons that can ultimately make grave mistakes that cost lives.
Agreed.
The same is true with driving...well...add hundreds of people on any giving day
With the amount of commercial jets flying around the world on a daily basis it's a marvel of human ingenuity that more of them don't go down.... in saying all that I'd rather walk to my destination than get in a small plane or helicopter. Those things seem to fall out of the sky like raindrops.
This idiot needed a co pilot he didn’t even know that the plane was banking
💯 agree
I remember that morning it was so incredibly foggy that even driving seemed dangerous. That a helicopter was allowed to fly in those conditions is absolutely nuts
Police helicopters were grounded that day!
Totally fine if on an IFR flight plan and the pilot is IFR current. No problem at all. I know the helicopter was not IFR certified at that point in time, I think I read somewhere that the pilot was not current. That's a very different thing. Every six months I have to log six instrument approaches to maintain currency. The FAA prefers that I go out and fly in real conditions, which means that from the final approach fix to the end of the runway I can't see the runway for part of the flight. Where I am located, the FaFs are all at 2,000 feet, so clouds have to be lower than that for me to log an actual approach. There are other options, but doing it in real conditions is good experience and the FAA encourages that.
Most police helicopters are going to need VFR conditions. Can't chase cars or criminals while in the clouds, LOL.
I still can't understand why the pilot flew in those conditions. He continued circling instead of turning back to the airport, until the fog lifted. We may never know!
@@tamrabrown3261 He wanted to please. He’d always gotten Kobe to his destination before. Kobe wouldn’t fly with any other pilot. He really trusted this guy. Oops…
I understand. It must have been a very difficult decision to decide to fly in heavy fog, that day! I'm sure that he was an experienced pilot, otherwise; Kobe would not have hired him!
The pressure of having Kobe on board and having to say "hey Kobe, No can do today, get a limo to take you" is what caused the crash. The courage to do that is harder than flying any machine. It's a risk he took and had he landed safely, we wouldn't be talking about it. Unfortunately, the gamble wasn't favorable this time and the scary thing is that this is happening today as we speak and we don't hear about it because they are landing safely but sooner or later...another one will make a bad decision.
Isnt it crazy they were near the mamba facility couldve landed near there and got a ride smh
That’s an assumption that you clearly are just making up. You knew Kobe personally? You ever her fly him ANYWHERE? The fuckin nerve of everyone including you just assuming that kobe would’ve fired the guy for telling him it was not safe to fly fuckin baffles my mind. How stupid does that sound?
@@ThePancakee Yeah but dont you know, Kobe was FAR TOO GOOD to sit in a car! He used to demand to take the chopper even if he was just going a mile down the road. I guarantee the pilot never wanted to fly but Kobe gave him no choice, either fly or loose your job and never work in this town again.
@@luisn818 what? What the hell are you talking about? Lmfao. I’m not going to even justify replying to you. That was the dumbest comment I have read in a while. Go back and read what I wrote. Who the hell said anything about Kobe’s reaction? And fired who? The helicopter belonged to a company who hired the pilot. Not Kobe. Are you a pilot? If not, Stfu.
Absolutely false, the pilot is responsible. Saying “no” is a pilots duty when flying isn’t safe.
For anyone unaware: spatial disorientation is arguably a pilot's worst enemy. At certain altitudes and within certain settings/environments, pilots can become so disoriented that their senses are removed from reality, and by the time they notice that they've been betrayed by their senses, it's often too late. It's why pilots are trained to trust their instruments over their senses. Spatial disorientation has led to so many crashes, including the one that killed JFK Jr.
Very well said.
Thank you
For anybody unaware: if Kobe had gone to prison for raping that chick, he'd still be alive😏
Well, evidently this one either didnt train himself enough, or got to complacent due to years of experience "flying with his eyes", as in relying on way too much looking out the window instead of looking at the instruments.
I say this b/c in the video he clearly says he is climbing, when in actuality he was descending. While personally not a pilot, I have experienced something similar scuba diving in very poor visibility, and getting vertigo and not knowing my depth except by my depth gauge [aka vertigo].
Spatial disorientation......yeah maybe in 1960...today we have computers...and controll towers to stop this from happening...face the pilot dropped the ball and do did the tower
It's much better to be sitting on the ground wishing you were up in the air, than up in the air wishing you were on the ground.
2 pac was in ground but killed
@@AvumileTundzinpc
@@AvumileTundzi, So was BIGGIE WIGGIE SMALLS
Amen🙏🏽 GOD BLESS EVERYONE ONBOARD 🥹🙏🏽
Best comment!!!
As a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot and Marine Flight instructor who spent most of that time conducting instrument flight training, this just makes my head hurt. Why didn’t he bring another pilot with him? If another pilot wasn’t available, sometimes you gotta say “Nope. Not in this”
Conditions at John Wayne Airport were ok at time of departure. Part of the problem was that Island Express or Ara didn’t have a contingency plan if things went south. He had an opportunity to land at Van Nuys but instead tried to scud run, probably due to get-there-itis.
@@stellarwind1946 He also had an opportunity to follow route 118, which was clear at the time and would have got him to within two miles of his destination. I presume that he preferred his known route along 101.
Did u kill anyone overseas?
@@hb1338 I fly out of KCMA regularly, and the 101 is the best route under VFR for him because it takes him within a half mile. Problem is you can be in great VFR conditions East of the Conejo grade and then right at the top it can go IFR as the Conejo Valley holds the layer. In my opinion he was doing ok until he reached the point where he started his climb. In his current conditions, he should have known if he had enough experience with the area that the chance of finding a hole in the layer that thick to descend through from 4000 would be extremely unlikely, and that a climb in IMC (instrument meteorological conditions) was a violation in itself. I fly fixed wing, so Im not sure at his low altitude if he would have been able to pick up Camarillo's ATIS (automated terminal information service) which provides the weather. Mountains might have blocked the signal. He also had other options with an app that most pilots have called ForeFlight that could have supplied that information both pre and in flight. Lastly, I also agree with poster "just fearless" that upon approaching that IMC wall, a 180° turn back to Van Nuys was the best option for everyone. Ive had to explain to passengers before that the weather is bad and the risk is great. Their response that you're not willing to risk their safety has always been positive. I would hope that getting a limo from VNY would have still got them there close to schedule, and KB wouldn't have complained.
Obviously I'm not a pilot, but once the cloud ceiling was lower than the closest to the ground he could fly due to land elevation rising, then you just turn around and say, hey Van Nuys, got a parking spot?. Then get them a cab for the last 10 miles. That is what common sense person would do. Every decision up to that point was ok, then suddenly not, and suddenly dead.
I still remember that morning. My job at that time required me wake up early. The fog was so thick I could hardly see down the road I was driving on. When my coworker told me about this tragedy, I intuitively thought about the fog I saw. RIP to everyone on that helicopter.
Agreed. It is more dangerous when you are flying because you are still in the air, and you aren't worried about horizontal collisions but also vertical collisions.
What goes up must come down.
Dare say if it wasn't Bryant they wouldn't be flying
@CooManTunes spiderman into the spiderverse< crazy accident!?
Extreme fog conditions need to be acknowledged and respected especially when considering taking a helicopter flight.
Thanks Krillin!
Indeed you need make calculation about weather!
Can't believe it's been almost 2 years, feels like it was just yesterday when I heard this news at the office. RIP to Kobe, his daughter and all those who died at the crash.
I was on flying in a reaistic flight simulator when I heard the news, I thought it was a dream for a few moments.
that has gone so quickly. feels like a few months ago when my hero Kobe and all those passengers lost their lives. RIP to all
me too😥
it appears u can almost set your watch on when NTSB produce there reports
Psst, who cares?
When I was 10 my grandfather who was a pilot said - Son, if you ever become a pilot, stay out of clouds, mountains have been known to hang out in clouds...
My grampa told me, son if you're in a helicopter and you're flying blind, stop your forward motion and go straight up until your elevation is higher than mount Everest. Grampa was smart that way.........
Cool story bro. Pilots fly in zero visibility using gps and instruments only. Ur grandfather was a usless pilot
@@K131399cool story bro. Ur poppy was captain hindsight too? Everyone and their grand dad is a expert pilot all of a sudden. Pilots fly with 0 visibility. Thats what instruments and gps are for. Ppl crash in clear sunny days. It was a bad accident. It diesnt mean ur grand dad knows what hes talking about.
@@mi5iu491 I'm identifying as someone who could never be wrong though......
@@mi5iu491my grandpa who was a pilot told me son, if you ever fly a helicopter make sure the day before you get plenty of PUSSY cat because your never know when it might be your last time.
At my old workplace, Kobe was a semi-regular visitor. Our valet attendants loved him. He was chill. Dropped a $300 tip on them every time he parked up. Our entire business was devastated. Some people just broke down and wept where they stood, and a few had to go home. It was a sad, sad day for us.
Sounds like you're just missing the money because that's all you knew...
was it a whore house?
you guys were devastated bc there went the $300 tips
no mo 300 dolla tips so yeah they wept
@@monilparikh5171 😂
I still remember this day vividly. The worst thing about this tragedy was the way new outlets handled it. Vanessa Bryant found out about her husband and child's death the same way we did and that's so sickening
🖕HER how about that
I mean, it was a pretty public event. You don't have to be Kobe Bryant for an LA helicopter crash to make the news.
Who cares? She was handed generations of wealth and did nothing but lay on her back.
Id say it's a fair trade
I ALSO SAY NO TO N72EX AND THE MANUFACTURER.
@@Fakewhack-st8fl you sound ignorant, disrepectful and jealous!
I won't put one man's name above anybody else's in this accident. R.I.P. to all on board both passengers & crew.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
😥😥😥😢😢😢😭😭😭
Thank you.
Respect to you, people get caught up in celebrities, some dont remember they had to crawl before they could walk like everyone else. They all perished together so each life was special to their loved ones. May they all rest in peace.
But you did anyways. You don't have to say a name to imply it... why even say that at all?? You feel better about yourself now?
Pilots are unsung heros everyday. When I land after a safe flight, I thank God and I make sure I thank the pilot and give him a fist bump. Pilots are human and they are not immune to the daily pressures and stresses of life. You never know if they are going through something at home, with the wife, kids, parents, etc. A simple appreciative thank you and a smile goes a long way.
What a refreshing comment. While it’s important for the cause of safety to place blame where it belongs, that is not to demonize a pilot for her/his mistakes that lead to tragedy.
Agree....
Before, in the 70's, 80's, 90's, passengers on flights used to give big applauds to the pilots after landing. Then we read that pilots hate it, that it shouldn't be a surprise to the passengers that the pilot managed to land the plane😁peole stopped clapping and the last 20years I haven't heard anyone clap, allthough, in my mind I clap so hard that my brains expload every time...
I visited home when my daughter was about 9 months old. On the return flight, I waited for everyone else to get off, because I had luggage, her car seat and her. It was alot. The captain making sure everyone was off saw me struggling and grabbed my daughter and her car seat. When we finally emerged behind the last passengers, her dad was all jealous 🤣. Apparently that captain got a huge thrill out of carrying my baby and her seat 😏. That was 22 years ago, and I still remember that random moment of kindness.
Amen to that. Ground not very forgiving to an aluminum tin can.
Young children were lost in this horrific accident. Had their whole lives ahead of them. Heartbreaking 💔
Life is very grey
@@yallhavefun this was unnecessary though they should have just went another way
Thank you ALL the young children not just one celebrity kid. I'm tired of hearing the name. Other people deserve respect 🙏
Should have stayed away from the rapist
Good. If you love the lord, you’ll know that those people onboard had it coming and it was what “God” had planned for them.
It’s been 2 years and my heart is still broken! RIP to all on the helicopter 🙏🏿
Did you know anyone who was on board this helicopter?
And the other people....
Bruh
spiderman into the spiderverse< crazy accident!
Same here
90 minutes saved, 9 lives lost! THIS is the most important message and lesson to learn here. For all kinds of transportation: It is (fogging) NEVER worth it.
Let this terrible tragedy be a hard lesson to anyone who believes its safe to fly in less than ideal conditions next time they fly. Rest in peace Kobe, Gianna and the other souls.
Now we know the Kobes took off in perfect California weather. Tragic that the flight took them into FOG.
Those other souls had names too you know
@@sergf3624 you didn't care to name them either
KOBE: FLY THAT WAY, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Right away, sir.
I live under flight path for Abq NM i think, i brace often when i hear 2 seaters and news choppers overhead. It makes me anxious......
I am from SoCal. Driven through the Calabassas hills on 101 many times. So often the fog is so thick you cannot see the front of your car! RIP to all who lost their lives.
R.I.P Kobe Bryant 😢😢
I was snowboarding and my eyes are only 5' 7" off the ground all while feeling the snowy earth under my board, yet the thick fog caused serious disorientation. I can't imagine what it is like thousands of feet up in the air. Tragic for everyone onboard. Thick fog is no joke.
It's no joke, but also no problem for an instrument-rated pilot who's maintained proficiency. Unfortunately, the accident pilot had fallen out of proficiency.
I was a member at Mamba Sports Academy and went to the gym that day not knowing what had happened it was a regular day for me until I walked in and what usually was hundreds of people in the gym working out, playing basketball or others watching w loud music blasting through out the facility was dead silence except for the sobbing and screams of young girls upstairs 💔 so sad 😭 a moment I’ll never forget RIP to all
I suspected that they knew Kobe was to be there?
@@LK-pc4sq yes it was young girls that played on the basketball team with Kobe’s daughter giana that were crying upstairs
Oh wow really,so you knew Koby and his daughter?
@@crystalbowen9137 no i just worked out at the gym never personally met either
Thank you “Flight Channel” for these AMAZING real life graphics and 3D visual renderings of this (and so many other) crash. What a terrible, preventable tragedy for All of the families. Not just the Bryant family. I’m so sorry for all. May GOD Bless those who died, and all that were left behind.
One thing I never managed to understand is the odd way pilots react when they cannot see the ground and get spatially disoriented. Instead of doing the logical thing of looking at the instruments they will instead be distracted by looking harder out of the window for some visual cues for their orientation. The only way to overcome that faulty instinct is rigorous training with lots of practice, which is of course what instrument rated pilots do.
Very good comment.As humans we naturally look to see where we are.It must be difficult to fly on instruments because by default you are no longer actually looking where you are or going.Easier said than done.I have flown a light aircraft and even in broad daylight you may think you are flying straight and level whereby you may actually be climbing or banking etc.
Trust your instruments , trust your instruments ,trust your instruments ,trust your instruments ,trust your instruments , trust your instruments, trust your instruments,repeat this over and over so many times you can’t get it out of your head even when you are making love to a beautiful woman or man depending on your preference . It should be the first thought when you wake up and the last thought when you go to bed as a young instrument rated pilot . If you are not instrument rated same applies other than you should never press the weather ever!.
It's because that's what you are trained to do when you only fly VFR. The training for look and trust your instruments comes when getting IFR certified.
It is a natural instinct. The brain needs to "visually" see to confirm. It's like a reflex. That's why flying under the hood, or on a sim in IMC, very regularly is important; to help your brain and body learn what to do and what not to do. If you've ever flown in IMC it is something you never forget, especially if you have an instructor demonstrate what spatial disorientation actually feels like so you can acknowledge when it happens again. It's unreal.
@@drakesavory2019 how high, how fast, and whicj way is up is pretty basic instrument reading.
Heart wrenching. All those lives 🥺 including the pilot who just wanted to get his passengers to their destination.
I’m a commercial helicopter pilot with instrument rating. I also spent 31 years in the army, 20 of them as a maintenance test pilot (helicopters). This flight should have not taken place under VFR conditions (visual flight rules). This helicopter has autopilot and should have been filed under IFR flight plan (Instrument Flight Rules). I’m also crash investigator trained. I’m guessing the pilot was uncomfortable with autopilot system and IFR conditions. I’ve recently learned he was a very experienced instrument pilot but he was not allowed to file IFR due to the company he worked for not having the certifications. Tragic.
IFR conditions weren't allowed with this company. VFR only if I remember correctly. Plus no TAWS and he didn't want to get fined etc. Sad circumstance all around 😭
@@13ritneyanne Terrible judgment call cost so many lives, but I hope many others can learn from this. I’ve seen so many preventable accidents over my career. I currently serve as the Aviation Safety Officer for worldwide aircraft manufacturer. We are very methodical about safety considerations during development and testing. This business can kill you in an instance.
@@verticle2612 I bet! The craziest part to me is the chain of events that had to go wrong in order for this tragedy to happen. Just heartbreaking all around! I'll never forget that day.
They fly high profile clients but the best tools for certain conditions aren't available or did they say that after the crash?
just before he began his final ascent, I believed he told the tower he was going to fly IFR, because he had to break through the cloud cover, so he began to climb.
Damn! The media acted as though Kobe and his daughter GiGi were the ONLY ones aboard that helicopter.
There were a total of NINE people on board that were killed in that accident.
that was due to protecting the family members of the dead. Know the standard order of procedure. Plus, your sanctimonious attitude is transparent.
Yeah but they're not celebrities so..
No, they didn't. Poor people jealousy at it's finest. Children died on this flight while you're jealous of Kobe's stardom
A million other people around the world died that day too. I don’t see anyone mentioning those people
A whole family at that actually, leaving behind a child 😔
It is very difficult to say “no” to these high profile clients. I always thought it was ridiculous to take a helicopter for these insanely short distances because you didn’t want to deal with traffic. Helicopters are difficult to fly and take great skill but this is celebrity privilege at its worst.
They can just say remember what happened to Kobe Bryant. That might shut them up.
Well if you can't say no, there is nothing stopping you from constantly checking that clock that tells you your hight, or how close are you from hitting the bloody ground, specially when you find yourself in foggy conditions, for so much is known of what can happen when you find yourself in foggy conditions while flying VFR, wouldn't that be one of the most important things learned in flying school,, can't understand how he didn't do that most important of things , like how hard could that be, for when I drive I'm constantly checking my speed, specially when speed limits are changing!
This isn't celebrity privilege in any way whatsoever, this is someone who has earned their money by working incredibly hard and being the best at what they do, paying an insane amount of money for a flight in a helicopter. People take joy rides all the time for no reason at all. If you pay for it and you earned it, it's not a privilege. You just clearly hate celebrities and anyone more successful than you. The helicopter company is a business offering these flights at a cost, they aren't giving them away for charity. The blame for this accident ONLY lies with the pilot for choosing to fly in the given conditions and the company who hired him, NO blame goes to anyone else onboard.
@@user23724 privilege at it's finest...cope more
LA traffic is bad enough to justify helicopter rides if you can afford it.
The morning of his death. I heard his helicopter buzzing around Burbank waiting for the ATC. Those helicopters are very very loud so it woke me up and I sat there and watched the helicopter fly around before it left shortly after. I was super devastated when I found out it was Kobe, Gigi and their friends in that helicopter.
As a former CH-53 crewchief in the marines, we know that with helos, if you have any major mechanical failure in your engines you're dead. I don't know why people go up in those things for fun. I lost too many friends to those to ever want to step foot in one again. RIP to those lost in this tragedy.
This one had dual engines and didn’t fail.
I've been in OH58C and UH60L when they practiced autorotation landings with engine(s) at idle. OH58 was fun but UH60 not so much. Keeping minimum 60kts forward speed till under 20' then flaring in Blackhawk is maximum pucker factor. Deadstick landing in a CH53 sounds like a nightmare.
Correction. If you have major mechanical failure with the transmission you are dead. as long as your rotor system is able to turn you can safely autorotate to the ground
There was no mechanical failure. It was pilot disorientation due to lack of visibility. Basically, pilot went blind in mid-air.
I served in the Marines, 3rd MAW, MWSS 374, which supported a squadron of CH-53s. I was an electronic technician who repaired equipment in a mobile weather office.
I didn’t mean to say they had engine failure, I was just saying if anything majorly goes wrong you’re going down hard and probably not surviving. I probably lost more friends to pilot error than actual mechanical failure, but other than rumors we were never outright told what went wrong when those instances occurred. I was at HMH-465 on MCAS Miramar. I hope to god they never takeV-22s to civilian market because we all know what kind of death traps those POS are.
This was Island’s most experienced pilot, and he flew into IMC in an aircraft without TAWS. Also, if this guy had been an instrument pilot, they would all probably still be alive. When you can’t see, your instruments are the only way to fly.
He WAS Instrument rated at the time of the incident. Research before you type. I agree it was his fault, with partial blame on Island Express too. They require 2 pilots for IFR operations, yet neglected to provide Ara with a copilot knowing the weather better than he did. But yes, he was PIC and still made the choice to go. RIP everyone involved, too many souls taken too early.
@@Cpt.JohnnyBravo My mistake, he was instrument rated AND an instructor..and still couldn't tell from his altimeter that he was descending while telling ATC he was climbing. No TAWS, no second pilot. Island was completely negligent here.
@Julian Martov when you’ve been looking outside for the whole flight (SVFR) and then get in the clouds unexpectedly or can’t avoid them, it’s a natural reaction to look outside to orient yourself. Your brain does this like a reflex. I’m not saying that’s the appropriate thing to do while flying into IMC (intentionally or not), but it’s understandable at the very least. Yes, look at and trust your instruments. Yes, it’s his fault for taking to the sky that day. This was avoidable for sure, but with all of his training and ratings it just proves it can happen to anyone.
@@mitchellsmith4601 yeah it’s just sad all around. If anything it just shows it can happen to anyone. The past few years have been crazy with accidents, most of them experienced aviators. Also, sadly I had the chance to have talked with this pilot several times before this day. Worked at Atlantic Aviation at KSNA. He was a good dude, a lot of good stuff going on outside of his work life. Just again shows that it can happen to anyone. Flying aircraft can be very unforgiving as I’m sure you know lol
Shit and hi was the most experienced pilot holy fuck I don’t want to know about the others pilots levels 🤯🤯🤯🤯
I heard the helicopter flying near my house “by van nuys airport “ I was outside letting my dog out. I’m used to helicopters all the time , but this one was low and louder than others. R . I . P to all the souls on board.
I like how everyone in L.A happened to look up and notice this helicopter and thought some mundane thought but just enough to remember it.
Lol yeah i call BULLSHIT on most of it..."I was out walking my pet turtle" foh
@@hismajesty2036 Well, my pet goldfish had to pee so I took it out for a walk that day... and the blades nearly hit us...
@@Joe_duffy u sure u heard everyone in LA say that cuz I sure didn't
@@Joe_duffy huh ???? They noticed it was lower than usual and louder
This just popped up on my feed today (4 year anniversary) and I still can't believe this. I'll watch his highlights every now and then on here and there's those few moments where I completely forget he's not here anymore. I can't imagine what the pain the family members go through every day losing their loved ones like this. What a loss man
I always feel bad when the crash is due to pilot error. I always feel bad for the family of those pilots. I understand that their mistakes cause other people to lose their lives but I can’t imagine what it must be like to have people blaming your own son or daughter for a crash. The last memory they have of their son/daughter/uncle/aunt is them making one mistake that leads to the deaths of tens or hundreds of other people and that being the only thing people remember them for. “Oh yeah I remember that name in the news, that’s the pilot that screwed up and got everyone killed” I can’t even imagine what that must be like
You can't imagine? It seems like that's what you did for about 10 minutes while writing this trash comment. Come on now, you're doing what you said you would hate to have happen. Smh for real. Why even say it? What if his family is in here looking at this video? Here's your goofy comment and all you're doing is virtue signaling. The most tragic part of a death is all the people who feign emotions that don't belong to them for the purposes of showing the world how good of a person they are.. your comment is really astounding..
@@chuckdeuces911 my god you are such a troll get a life thats more interesting than negging everyone on stating their opinion- youve offered nothing here
@@chuckdeuces911 cry abt it
I'm probably the only one that only feel sad for the passengers and not the pilot. Everyone can make mistakes yes but this was his actual choice which caused the accident. He should prioritise safety which he didn't.
Agreed. Nobody wins. Pointing fingers and blaming doesn’t help heal.
I appreciate the guys with actual knowledge and experience commenting here. Thank you.
Eternal rest to all of them who perished. This was such a sad day. 💔
Donuts with anal leakage icing are delicious!
Oh wow, I love the Van Nuys ATC lady. I can actually understand everything she is saying!!!
Exactly what I said. For once I can hear every word an ATC is saying! Sometimes I can’t understand how they can make out more than every other word at best. It’s all jumbled together. But I realize time is of the essence and they have to be quick.
ok ksren
@@ramonmoreno8014 Ok ksren.!
The way you make the videos, wow! Hats off🙏
I remember the morning of Kobe’s passing I had gotten off a really late night shift, on the inland empire so relatively close to LA/calabases and let me tell you it was sooo foggy to the point where I had to pull over and wait for the fog to die down, which I never do ever. Didn’t think a tragedy of this magnitude would happen just hours later. RIP to the late great Kobe and others lost in this tragic accident
It was super foggy that morning all across SoCal. I live in Orange County where Kobe lived and where he departed from and the night before as well as the morning of the crash I distinctly remember saying the fog was spooky. I got up that morning to go hiking in the local Santa Ana Mountains and heard about the crash on the radio. I immediately assumed fog was to blame.
KOBE: FLY ME, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Sorry, sir. I'll start this thing up, right away, sir.
Pilot error. not fog error
When they told the pilot of the route change, he said sure no problem....as we know now, big problem. One you are going to thread a needle between mountains, and its getting foggier.
I think the reason he had to press on and take the risk is because, if he told kobe, look im sorry we are coming up on thick fog and I'm not certified to fly by instrument, he knew kobe would have been upset that he had not check the weather, and kobe would have asked for a pilot that is certified with instrument to fly him in the future.
The same experience of that morning up here in LA. Saw the breaking news about his helicopter crashing outside of LA, stepped out on my patio to look up at the low clouds and fog, and knew that was it.
@@CooManTunes of course the people that could tell us what was said are dead, but if we are making assumptions, let's assume kobe was not demanding. But its fair to assume that had the pilot told kobe that they had to go back and all this flying so far was waisted time because he was not certified to fly with instruments...its fair to think that kobe would have been upset and requested a pilot that could fly with instruments.
I can't believe it's been 2 years since that happened. Rest easy Kobe, Gigi and everyone that died from that horrific crash #kobe24
Rip to coach John Altobelli,Keri Altobelli,Alyssa Altobelli,Payton Chester,Sarah,Christina Mauser the pilot Ara Zobayan
Well not sure Kobe is resting easy after committing rape but I’m sure the family is in heaven
I've done this type of thing in helicopters a lot. Going down (landing) is always an option when weather gets low but going up into the clouds is not, especially in mountainous terrain. This accident sadly was 100 percent pilot error in weather-related decision making. I have had the exact same thing happen and search-and-rescue was scrambled. When the weather got unimaginably low, I landed in a little clearing and loss of radar and comm resulted in the search-and-rescue response. I had to explain it the FAA but told them I'd do the exact same thing again because the alternate was death. FAA gave me a pass. RIP all the people on board that helicopter. We all make mistakes but helicopters do not forgive.
Do you think the passengers knew something was up?
The most perplexing part of this to me, is it's a helicopter. You can set it down almost anywhere. Declare an emergency, land, and live! You may lose a client. You may break some rules. You may have to answer questions in an investigation. But you survived. The fact that this was completely avoidable only adds to the tragedy.
When they left Orange County, the forecast and weather reports were already saying it was probably not going to be doable, but they took off anyway, hoping that things would change en route. They were already behind schedule because of the hold south-east of Burbank. Nobody wants to be the pilot who says, "Mr. Bryant, we're going to land here and get you into a limo for the rest of the trip - sorry that will make you another two hours late."
Instead, you think "I'll just go a little bit farther and see if things get better. It's a helicopter. I can set it down anywhere if we really get into trouble." Anyone who has been on a long road trip and found themselves nodding behind the wheel and didn't pull off to sleep for a few hours but pushed on because they were "almost there" is guilty of exactly the same thing.
"It'll never happen to me"
@@B3Band Exactly. We get bad, dangerous habits reinforced whenever we get away with doing something stupid.
How can you set it down if you can’t see the ground below you?
@@jez6078 very carefully.
It's been 2 years and it still doesn't feel real. RIP to everyone that lost their lives. Every time I drive past that area in Calabasas I think of them...
And while I have the upmost respect to first responders, in this case the fact that even one of them took pics of the deceased at the scene for their personal gratification (which I believe was only exposed after one first responder shared the pics w/a woman in a bar he was allegedly trying to impress who came forward) was shocking. I know they were disciplined for their actions however the fact that people in that position would exploit such a tragedy is really disturbing.
@@isabellind1292 do you know where you can see the pics?
@@peterjones9317 wtf
@@isabellind1292 i wanted to see the pictures.
@@peterjones9317 What pics?
its crazy how many ppl know exactly what they did when they heared the news and that its over two years, bc it feels like it was just a few weeks ago. thank you for making this video.
Wonderfully presented.
Thank you. So very sad.
I remember leaving Orange County for a trip up north to Bakersfield to visit an old friend that morning. The fog was dense, probably the worst I had seen in my entire time living in SoCal. As I was passing through LA the fog kept getting thicker, I had to squint and look hard to see 5 feet ahead of my windshield. It was terrifying to drive in, I could only imagine flying. RIP Kobe, Gigi, and everyone else that tragically lost their life that day. You will be missed ❤️
Someone else's wrong decision can be your finally day. That's the part of life that is not fair.
That is why as an adult and father you think for yourself
And that's the saddest thing about when you have a society where people don't care about each other like they would themselves. And as a result I thought that's just the way it is in life. But then a few years back I travelled to Japan... and amazingly, I found people there care about the next person like they care about themselves. So its possible. There has to be a psychological cultural shift here. I sincerely mean that. Regarding this video, I didn't understand 10:26 to 11:39. Was it the ATC guy signed off his shift and told them to wait for his replacement? Did I hear and read that wrong? If im right its bizarre not waiting to get off your shift until after you've helped the copter through.
@@noelleonard2498 I've been known as a cynic by friends. Well, hey, until someone shows me I can trust them, why would I give them the benefit of the doubt? I don't put anything past anyone. People are capable of great good. But they are also capable of great bad. I'll admit that I trusted more in Japan. After that, my guard went back up.
Life isn't fair
I flew offshore in the gulf of Mexico for a decade on multiple types of helicopters but this identical one for many years. Fog was the worst and rarely did we ever fly in it. When we did there were two pilots using there instruments. This should of been avoided. RIP
Mother Nature is a dangerous playground if you ignore all signs. She will let you know she is still in charge.
Sometimes, short cuts aren’t the best way. RIP legend Kobe, we will miss you.
I was at my grandma's house when this happened and I remember she received a phone call saying Kobe Bryant died and once I heard her say those words out loud I couldn't believe it and it was all over the news... rip Kobe Gianna and the 7 others on board
I feel most sorry for Vanessa. I mean, losing a child hurts forever. #vanessabryantstaystrong
I'm not a pilot and my helo experience is mostly as a Huey crewchief in the sixties. The better pilots in my company were also fixed-wing experienced, and many were IFR qualified as well. The conventional wisdom among them was, (1) you can't fly by touch and feel, you need to see. (2) Therefore, IFR in a helicopter mostly means "I follow roads." and (3) in dense fog, even with instruments, it's 9 to 1 you'll be upside down within 90 seconds.
Jesus Christ, man! I will never ride in a chopper again!
What!! Scary as hell.
I cannot help but cry. Feeling as though I was right their with them in their final moments. Chills and a Total out of body experience. So heartbreaking. May these amazing lives rest with the Lord and the families heal.
well, the Pilot F up I am a former USAF helicopter crew-chief. He should have immediately landed no ifs or buts about it.
RIP
Ara Zobayan
(1969-2020)
Kobe Bryant
(1978-2020)
Gianna Bryant
(2006-2020)
John Altobelli
(1963-2020)
Keri Altobelli
(1973-2020)
Alyssa Altobelli
(2005-2020)
Sara Chester
(1976-2020)
Payton Chester
(2007-2020)
and
Christina Mauser
(1981-2020)
RIP to everyone that was on board. I’m sad for all the families that lost a loved one.
KOBE: FLY THAT WAY, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Right away, sir.
There was a kid lost both of their parents AND sister.
Thank you..so many just say oh kobe and G...They all deserve respect 🙏
@@lisalee2885 Absolutely. It’s sad for everyone involved.
@@gpt-jcommentbot4759 💔
I drove through that exact area in the mountains at 9:30 and it was thick white fog. Almost like milk. I could barely see anything in front of me while driving. It was exceptional and I had that thought that it was so thick, I hadn’t seen it that bad before. I’m still not over this tragedy. It’s just devastating
Is that normal in that area ? Or would you say it was unusually foggy ? Like odd ?
If I had to guess they created that fog on purpose to disguise the murder of shooting down his chopper . It was all planned .
Even a whole 2 years later and this story still breaks my heart.
Why. Because a famous basketball player died. No one cares you pretend to care.
@@apotbos 🤣😂🤣😂
He was very nice and a good basketball player no one cares but SO much people maby you should go do a differnt video if you dont care just sad
@@ninjakid1869 The guy couldn't tie his own shoelace, let alone play Basketball.🤣
@@trentcruise3084 this guy cant even dribble down the crown lol and basketball is so easy I get call curly cause I make the 3 for our team lol
a delay is always better than a disaster
I know that area well. I am a fixed wing out of Oxnard. In those conditions I am well above the obscuration (VFR) at 3000. Surface obscuration around Calabasas/Thousand Oaks can be horrendous. His altimeter indicated MSL not AGL. That poor fellow got disoriented and didn't even know it. It just makes me so very sad. RIP to those poor souls and their families. Well done video!!
I don’t l know about America or GA flying really only commercial flying in Europe, why would any pilot not in the immediate vicinity of an airport have their altimeter set to anything but MSL? Sure in the circuit you can set to QFE but that’s a very GA way of flying and a commercial pilot should know better
YES. THE SMOG CAN BE STIFLING!
KOBE: FLY ME, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Y-Y-Yes, sir! R-Right away, sir!
I was an air evac paramedic in the militery and we did trips to new mexixo and texas. Militery helicoppter pilots are the best. they can get thru any type of terrain and they knew thier stuff- It was an honor flying with them
How are you in the military and you don’t even know how to spell “military”? 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
@@tspks2128 maybe he's Hispanic and english isn't his first language.
@@tspks2128 good point- typo
Common sense would tell you not to fly in those foggy conditions.. RIP to all the victims of this tragedy.. My condolences to the families...
Great video about what happened to Kobe Bryant and others !!! Thank you 😊.
This was such a terrible day of what then also turned out to such a terrible year.
Yeah in the future Children will have to read about 2020! Hopefully 2022 won't be like 2020! 🙏
@@RAGEINDIGO 2022 is going to be boring
RIP from a former airline pilot
.....RIP,
but that pilot's negligence, flying in IMC on a VFR plan, caused a tragic loss life.
HEY. WHEN KOBE #8 TELLS YOU TO FLY, YOU FLY. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
KOBE: FLY ME, B*TCH.
PILOT: OH, I'LL FLY YOU, ALRIGHT.
@@CooManTunes nope.
The pilots is 100x more important than Kobe
I talked to a 30yr helo pilot today at work.
I asked him about Kobe’s pilot.
He said that is one super dumb ass
@@PInk77W1 lol no kidding? he was known to be a joke pilot?
@@deathlarsen7502 I don’t think he was known to be a joke pilot. I think he took a chance and kllld 9 people
@@CooManTunes 😅🤣😂
This is the worst example of an unexpected terrain impact, resulting in the most uncontrolled disassembly I've EVER heard of!
If only they could build one as fast as that one came apart.
This happened to Kennnedy JR ...remember?
@@LK-pc4sq He was "distracted" from two beautiful women who were on the plane with him.
This happened not far from my house. The weird thing about it was that the night before I was driving a friend home and I literally told her that "this is the kind of weather that gets pilots killed". Living right where he was flying I can tell you that there is no way he was BFR at 1500 feet. I live at 1800 feet and we were in the soup. Could not see my neighbors house across the street. Very sad the innocent people had to die because of something that has pilots learned in the first few hours of flying.
Foreshadowing
I remember that morning perfectly two hours earlier I drove by that area on the 101 fwy and it was so foggy that all the traffic had slowed down for a min just to get some visibility. Just to be driving at that moment was extremely dangerous
I had wondered exactly what went wrong. This was well presented. Such a tragedy. God bless all.
As a former helicopter pilot I find it strange that he increased altitude suddenly and then nosedived without looking at altitude instruments.
Why are you plastering the same comment all over RUclips? You’re not a helicopter pilot, and your language and lack of knowledge give you away. Stop lying, and just have the guts to give an honest, amateur opinion.
Exactly. Not to mention the left turn while nosediving. Very fishy.
Very poor judgment of the pilot. He should not have taken off. However, after takeoff, in bad weather, he could have turned around and all live to see another day. R.I.P.
Sounds similar with what happened to the Argentinian player who crashed in the channel, the pilot didn't even have a current licence and no training to fly at night. Was also doing a visual flight, became disorientated and crashed into the channel.
Easy to say now, but it could've been a case of take off or lose your job flying with that company. High profile clients typically get what they want.
@@anthonyd5189 Yup. Just the way it is, he probably really didn't think the fog would be THAT big of an issue as he was a experienced pilot. Probably thought if he returned back with Kobe Bryant he would lose his job and felt that pressure to do it anyway. Such a sad bunch of events that took 9 lives :(
The pilot had little choice in the matter. Either take off or get fired by someone like Kobe and never work as a pilot in that town again. He probably needed that job to feed his family and felt it was the only option. You have to put any love you may have for Kobe due to his basketball skills aside and understand the type of man he really was. He was an arrogant POS that thought he was better than everyone else and insisted on always getting his way no matter what, regardless of the cost. He wouldnt even sit in a car for a short 5 min drive 2 miles down the street. He in his own words claimed he was too good to sit in traffic. 100% of the blame goes on Kobe. Every life lost in that accident was on him and nobody else.
Yup. He didn’t even have to turn around they passed at least 3 airports and in reality you can land a helicopter anywhere especially for safety. The pilots ego and pride got them killed. What a bone head
When you think about the gravity of what was lost on that day over a ridiculous basketball game that couldn’t have been more inconsequential to any of their futures the tragedy becomes all the more upsetting and unfortunate. They should have never left to go to a game that simply didn’t matter. The cost was incalculable.
“Gravity” no pun intended?
So true. It was the perfect storm of unfortunate events. Gianna and her friends feel like they absolutely must make it to the game. Therefore, they put pressure on Kobe and the other dads/coaches. Kobe and the other dads/coaches thereafter put pressure on the pilot to get them there fast, since they are running late. The pilot then realizes he is transporting a celebrity and so he puts pressure on himself to complete the flight and secure the almost guaranteed cash tip. Kobe could have gotten the girls ready a few hours earlier and driven (or been driven) to the game. That doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t have been struck by a car, truck or bus en route to the game, but it just seems like this whole thing happened because they were running late. If the arena is 2 hours away by car and the weather is so poor, why start heading to the arena half an hour before tipoff? I miss Kobe, man. RIP to every single soul that was on that flight.
@@girlofthealpines I know. That only increases the anguish 😔
They could have gone by car too
….thank u✔️….when I first heard of the weather conditions and I thought about the “ mamba mentality “ smh….no one wants 2 put the blame on Kobe Bryant, alone from I think the chopper was sabotaged, I put it all on Bryant ✔️….
It's been more than a year but seems like it's just yesterday. My deepest sympathy to the families, We miss you Kobe
KOBE: FLY THAT WAY, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Right away, sir.
Over 2* years not 1
@@CooManTunes fake news
I'm so sad my idol will loss watching here support your channel from Phillipines
This is why you always keep an aye on your instruments, they are there to help you when visibility is bad.
I go offroad exploring often and I live by the quote "If you have to ask"... I've only found myself in dangerous situations when I decided to take a risk that I contemplated.
Usually it takes multiple freak coincidences for tragedies to happen. Makes you think like: If you late be late, don’t drive excessively fast, otherwise you put yourself in those rare scenarios. Trust your gut and be safe.
Could you do a video about the Leicester city ,UK football clubs Thai owner and his helicopter crash that killed him and 5 others departing from the stadium packed with 30.000 fans,would be very interesting video and provide closure to a lot of people in Leicester who miss him very much. Please.
Oh man incredible video thank you so much for posting. That was horrific to watch and know they're hurtling to to the ground when the pilot thought they were flying to four thousand feet. So terrible for all passengers. I pray the good Lord blesses and keeps those poor people.
6 days later, that helicopter crash will commemorate the 2nd anniversary. In memory of Kobe Bryant, his 2nd daughter and the other people and the pilot on board that helicopter.
First, condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy. An entire family, minus one daughter who was away at college IIRC, died that day. I don't see this fact mentioned enough.
Second, I hope all pilots learned something. Passengers NEVER dictate the flight. I don't care if it's the President of the United States in the back -- passengers are passengers and pilots are pilots.
"An entire family, minus one daughter who was away at college IIRC, died that day. I don't see this fact mentioned enough." To most people commenting here, Kobe and his daughter were the important ones on the flight. The family that perished, as well as the pilot, are slightly more important than an after thought.
They also failed to mention another person on that flight who was just as important as the ready of them. Christina Mauser was one of the coaches as well as a wife and a mother. She left behind young children and a devoted husband. How can they just “forget” about another person??
The morning of the crash, my mom had called me to tell me how foggy it was. I happened to be driving out and was in Arizona that morning. She was telling me to be careful driving if I was already in California. That's sort of telling how thick the fog was to fly in.
You’re right about how thick the fog was. That part you’re not exaggerating. If anything this is an understatement. But what you’ve failed to mention here is that it wasn’t even remotely foggy until after the helicopter took off and it formed in such vast quantities that it could literally be seen from space and in just the wrong place at the wrong time.
This just broke my heart!! I literally jumped when the aircraft crashed. This brought that flight to life and I could only imagine how terrified they have been if only for a split second!! May not only Kobe Bryant but his daughter, the children, parents and the pilot forever be in our hearts!!! There has been so many lives lost due to private flights where pilots should have made the decision to put their foot down and said no because conditions weren't suitable to fly. Like the day Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens died. It was literally a blizzard!! People need to stop being so star struck and start making more responsible decisions when It comes to these things!!
Your implication that celebrity had anything to do with this accident is misplaced. There is no evidence that the pilot treated Bryant _et al_ any differently than he would have treated other passengers, nor that the pilot had to combat any external pressure and “put his foot down.”
Well said period
I refuse to spew conjecture & hate at the dead. I wasn’t present & don’t know the pilot’s thoughts or the thoughts of anyone who was in the helicopter on that fateful day. This is still painful. My heart goes out to the families & friends who live with the pain of this tragedy every day. Rest In Peace to all the deceased who where on the flight. 🕊
Respect.
@K O Read the room, Loser.
@ko7577I mean it’s preferred to not hate at all
I can’t believe it’s almost been two years since then, rip to Kobe and everyone else who died in this crash and too the families of the victims my deepest condolences 😢❤️
to
I know...but here is quite an odd case where the wrong too actually works perfectly in the sentence. I am entertained when I find these.
KOBE: FLY THAT WAY, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Right away, sir.
I remember when I found out about Kobe...I was in disbelief, and I have lost many people over the years...We are all human and life is life...Anything can happen at any moment...R.I.P to all who perished that day x
KOBE: FLY ME, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Sorry, sir. I'll start this thing up, right away, sir.
I was the same. I was in complete shock. I was a huge Kobe fan. 😢
Kobe wasn’t the only one that died because of that decision.
Pfftt no. Just use common sense, im just a regular corporate slave, even then when weather was bad- i'd rather take train 24/7
Stevie Ray Vaughn helicopter
An entirely avoidable accident. One of the first things they taught us in flight school about VFR is to stay the hell away from clouds for this very reason
Changed a lot from the initial story thanks for the update & RIP to all that were lost.
KOBE: FLY THAT WAY, B*TCH. I'M KOBE.
PILOT: Ok ok. Right away, sir.
@@CooManTunes 😂
It seems like they never knew what hit them, so it was quick and the bodies were burned. Unbelievable they let a star athlete of this caliber go up in a helicopter that did not have taws. Also shameful was the LA sheriff's department taking pictures of Kobe's body to send to friends. DISGUSTING!!
I think the comment that was interesting to me was where they said if they chose to fly IFR only, they would have been moved to the bottom of the flight traffic 'priority' list which would have delayed the typical 30 minute flight. To me, that seemed like the first sign that they were 1000% about getting their 'high value' client to their destination on time.
To all the insensitive fools stating this was somehow on Kobe, nowhere does a report say he was forceful and pushy about flying. As a person with many hours I can tell you, this is on that pilot and company alone! Period. No one can make you fly! I was always taught that if you don’t get off the ground that day, it was an awesome day!
You clearly know nothing about the kind of personality Bryant had or his history with previous pilots who didn't do what he asked. Get off your high horse.
Payne Stewart
He had a choice though he could have just went another way he liked helicopters why I don't know
@@CringeComedyTV you knew Kobe personally?
@@CringeComedyTV you’re clueless man!
I remember taking my commercial multi engine airplane check ride that same morning at the Camarillo airport. With a seasoned pilot examiner (DPE) and an instrument cert already earned, we were able to perform the flight because we were able to obtain proper IFR clearances to get above the clouds with ease to perform my test, but I remember it being the lowest fog level and thickest clouds I had ever flown in to date. And I was at the airport around 5:30am until we flew around 9:30-10am, and monitored the weather the entire time. No way for VFR at Camarillo where they were headed. And when I landed and the DPE told me I had passed I was ecstatic... only to walk into the FBO and see the news that Kobe had died while I was in my checkride. That quickly turned into a dark bittersweet morning 😢
How does someone not constantly check the gauges when they can't see anything? especially when you know there are mountains ahead of you.
I believe pilot was a fan and was talking to kobe. There is no way he was focused and just forgot about looking at his gauges. That's literally the most important thing when flying VFR. It still doesnt make sense to me.
Allegedly, Kobe was tough on his pilots, so I don't think "self-induced pressure" is accurate. He probably felt like he had to complete the flight to keep his job. And it cost 9 lives.
Which is not to say he has no blame or even most of the blame, but some people just act like it's sooooo easy to quit your job or get fired when for many, it is not.
KOBES SHOULD'VE KNOWN THAT HE WAS IN A HELICOPTER AND NOT ON A BASKETBALL COURT, AND THAT STAYING QUIET WOULD'VE BEEN HIS BEST MOVE. OH WELL!
How do you know he was tough on his pilots?
@@pinecedar180 He's fired his pilots before. He fired 1 for refusing to fly in bad weather, and the other for stopping at an airport for more fuel.
@@pruhnav If that's the case then a lot of blame should be on him too.
@@zraj3433 A lot of blame IS on him.
I remember that morning. What's odd is that the conditions didn't make flying that much faster then driving. On Sundays 9am a car could've done that trip in around 70 minutes-- the freeways are super empty at that time.
To Kobe, flying was as routine as taking a car.
He trusted his pilot and this was nothing out of the ordinary for him. I think had the pilot fully explained that severity of weather conditions Kobe would have called off the flight
RIP To All Passengers Who Lost Their Lives🙏❤️
Pilot sounded a bit stressed and nervous, very early in the flight, in fact his first verbal communication with ATF sounded very shaky. Seems like shortly after takeoff he was still calm, untill after entering the IFR conditions inadvertently, Kobys family isn’t the only one that is grieving. The pilot's family as well as all of us Kobe fans are too
not that important in retrospect
Kobe*
So u are saying the pilot knew there was a high chance of crashing & killing everyone including himself but thought that was a better alternative than to possibly lose his job by telling Kobe he was more worried about the passengers safety??
@@tyroneshoes4049 You liking your own random and unimportant comment is hilarious in retrospect, wtf does that??🤣🤣🤣😭
How many times do I have to explain this?! None of the weather conditions that you just described were known until after the helicopter took off and were just assumed by the LAPD and air traffic control simply because the sky happened to be gray! I’m sorry to sound like a broken record, but it is what it is!
Just heartbreaking, that wait in Glendale when they still could have landed. Instead it was a wait before tragedy. I bet everyone was all excited talking about basketball, family, and future plans. Not knowing what was about to happen. R.I.P Kobe and GIgi and all the families affected. :(
Eerily I looked outside the window at around 10am that fateful Sunday morning and noticed how foggy the weather was. It was so shocking learning of the news. My whole body went numb…then hours later even more shocking news learning of how many people have died, including Gigi. 💔💔💔 then that same day a friend in San Francisco was riding a motorcycle wearing Kobe’s jersey in his memory was killed in a motorcycle accident. What a horrific day it was!!!!!! I will never forget it.
Wow
I was a tactical flight officer in our police helicopter working night patrol in scattered patchy fog with VFR conditions. We were heading towards a call when we flew right into fog. Pilot immediately made a 180 turn went straight to instruments and called tower for special VFR. We were flying with doors off so I stuck my head out and could see streets below. With my knowledge of the city I began calling the intersections to alert pilot of our location. We were both relieved when we saw the rotating airport beacon.
That's a very interesting and meaningful comment.
Sad but a classic example of scud running; flying into thick clouds with literally no instruments; so close to terrain.. What a tragedy... many pilots still think they can get away doing this type of 'macho flying'... RIP to all who died; condolences to all families
I’m not a pilot, but keep thinking why isn’t it a hard and fast rule that if you can’t see the horizon or terrain your eyes must be glued to the instruments?
It seems that the pilot thought that if he felt confident it would be ok to fly by gut.
@@janimalius Spatial disorientation is deadly. We humans are geared to believe what we can see around us and of our surroundings. Chances are in his state of disorientation, even if he had looked at his instrumentation and had seen that his altimeter indicated a rapid descent, because he couldn't see the ground speeding towards the helicopter, he would've disregarded the readings continuing to believe he is ascending because every fibre of his being is telling him the helicopter is climbing.
@@janimalius spatial disorientation is deadly...then you return to flying by your instruments and it's no longer deadly at all
@@GaZonk100 you can’t fly by instruments in low, mountainous terrain. Take your eyes off them for a split second and they start turning the wrong way and suddenly you’ve lost control.
@@stellarwind1946 it's not 'split seconds', come on...you just follow what they say and go with what they tell you