# Kobe Bryant Dead in Helicopter Crash **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** celebrity-death, basketball-nba\ **Created:** [January 26, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010 "2020-01-26T19:33:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/201 "2020-02-26T03:42:28Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > It’s hard to get the software to recreate what was out there. IMO it was way too clear a view. > > Forget the helicopter for a moment. Imagine you’re driving on a foggy day. If you look straight up the gradient amount of fog is impossible to judge. It’s just gray. Looking laterally into the distance it’s patchy and as you drive your visibility increases and decreases along the way. The difference is that you can usually see the road you’re on as a reference point because your eyes are a few feet above it and it comes with directional lines. You only need to see a few feet down and 100 feet forward. But in the air there is no road nearby. It’s just gray. The major reference point in a VFR flight (Visual Flight Rules) is the horizon. If the fog is patchy then that reference point disappears. All that is left is the ground below. Everything on the ground is beyond your 3 dimensional visual range so you have no sense of depth or distance. If you’ve driven in marginal foggy weather then imagine that at 150 mph. that’s why airplanes have all those gauges. They take the guess work out of flying. > > I still wonder if the pilot had experienced a medical event. It’s pretty easy to fly into marginal weather and it’s not a big deal to fly off the instruments to maintain control of the plane even as a VFR only pilot. The modern GPS systems available for aviation are ridiculously easy to use and I can’t imagine the pilot didn’t have it set up to take the load off navigation. He could have flown +/- a few feet in any direction with little effort. I may have cued the wrong video from the guy. In the one I thought I cued, besides the fog and track, the author mentions speaking to a helicopter pilot who told him the incident pilot may have been looking down and to his right to program some panel near his right thigh. Thus triggering spatial disorientation, in a situation where, AIUI, plenty of unpracticed, yet nominally qualified, instrument pilots have trouble when they inadvertently enter IFR. I agree that it shouldn’t be a problem for a trained pilot to inadvertently enter IFR. Throw task saturation, the fact they were likely running late (judging by the 10-15 minutes burning circles near the Burbank control area), and that he might have picked up some vertigo if he was expecting to fiddle with the right thigh panel, and have a horizon still when he lifted his head: I can see a screwup like this happening. I mentioned awhile ago in the thread, the variety of instrumentation likely available to the pilot, like synthetic vision or whatever Garmin or Collins was calling it when they introduced blended terrain maps to artificial horizons. Look at that. And if the brown is above the blue, stop doing that. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/202 "2020-02-26T04:04:11Z")
Down and to his left, thus rolling and turning left. Most helicopters are piloted from the right seat. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/203 "2020-02-26T14:55:50Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Down and to his left, thus rolling and turning left. Most helicopters are piloted from the right seat. Wow, ignorance fought. The one and only time I’ve ridden in a helicopter (police Jet Ranger on a fun flight), I sat in the front right seat, and the pilot sat in the left. I was told of the dire consequences if I touched anything,. It worked. I was so overwhelmed by the view and the speed, I forgot that the microphone switch for the intercom was on the floor. Hell of a view. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/204 "2020-02-27T23:06:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I still wonder if the pilot had experienced a medical event. It’s pretty easy to fly into marginal weather and it’s not a big deal to fly off the instruments to maintain control of the plane even as a VFR only pilot. The modern GPS systems available for aviation are ridiculously easy to use and I can’t imagine the pilot didn’t have it set up to take the load off navigation. He could have flown +/- a few feet in any direction with little effort. I kind of like this theory. Explains a lot. None of the various other explanations adequately explain to me why there would have been was appear to be some pretty abrupt changes in speed and direction. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/205 "2020-02-28T09:35:59Z")
Apologies if I’ve missed it (quite likely), but I’m seeing references to heavy fog and crashing at 150mph - why didn’t the pilot slow down and then maintain a hover while trying to reorientate themselves/gain visibility? Obviously this isn’t an option in a fixed wing aircraft, but if I were a helicopter pilot, that’s what I’d be aiming for. Or is it because getting to that stage is difficult in a helicopter when you’re already disorientated in zero visibility? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/206 "2020-02-29T01:19:27Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Apologies if I’ve missed it (quite likely), but I’m seeing references to heavy fog and crashing at 150mph - why didn’t the pilot slow down and then maintain a hover while trying to reorientate themselves/gain visibility? Obviously this isn’t an option in a fixed wing aircraft, but if I were a helicopter pilot, that’s what I’d be aiming for. Or is it because getting to that stage is difficult in a helicopter when you’re already disorientated in zero visibility? Well that’s pretty much the question. A commercial helicopter pilot’s input would be helpful. It’s probably a different thought process. Personally, I love flying with an Ipad backing up the plane’s navigation system. It’s like having a navigator sitting next to you. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/207 "2020-02-29T02:29:09Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Well that’s pretty much the question. > > A commercial helicopter pilot’s input would be helpful. It’s probably a different thought process. Personally, I love flying with an Ipad backing up the plane’s navigation system. It’s like having a navigator sitting next to you. not a commercial pilot but flew Huey’s in the Army for five years and instrument rated. To hover one needs to have a visual reference to know if you are holding stable. In clouds with no reference you’d be drifting and not know it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/208 "2020-02-29T03:09:18Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > not a commercial pilot but flew Huey’s in the Army for five years and instrument rated. To hover one needs to have a visual reference to know if you are holding stable. In clouds with no reference you’d be drifting and not know it. You were flying a 1000+ hp turbine helicopter. I’d say that was in the same league if not quite as fast as the one in question. On a clear day in a slower fixed wing plane I’m still flying off instruments even if I’m wandering around sightseeing. If I make a turn I look at the artificial horizon out of habit. It’s the fastest reacting gauge and gives the most feedback to control input. Is this not the case flying a helicopter? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/210 "2020-03-02T12:05:24Z")
Foreflight is very nice – being able to see other traffic (even planes without ADS-B out) is very handy. Of course I still look outside the windows. Brian ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/211 "2020-03-02T14:17:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > You were flying a 1000+ hp turbine helicopter. I’d say that was in the same league if not quite as fast as the one in question. > > On a clear day in a slower fixed wing plane I’m still flying off instruments even if I’m wandering around sightseeing. If I make a turn I look at the artificial horizon out of habit. It’s the fastest reacting gauge and gives the most feedback to control input. > > Is this not the case flying a helicopter? most of our flying was VFR, but yes I looked at the artificial horizon frequently. I assume their helicopter had out of ground effect hovering capabilities at the time. I was taught that in those situations you switch to an IFR flight plan. I’ve not followed the situation closely but going up is usually better then going down. My assumption is the pilot got disoriented and things cascaded from there. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/212 "2021-02-10T03:31:41Z")
Just a quick update. As suspected, pilot flew into clouds, got disoriented, flew head-on into a hillside. > **[NTSB: Kobe pilot broke rules by flying into clouds](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30867166/ntsb-says-pilot-deadly-crash-killed-kobe-bryant-daughter-gianna-disoriented-clouds)** > > The NTSB said Tuesday that the pilot in the 2020 helicopter crash that killed all aboard, including Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna, flew through the clouds in an apparent violation of federal standards and likely became disoriented. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/213 "2021-02-10T14:56:14Z")
From DCnDC’s link: > The pilot went against his training and became spatially disoriented in thick clouds, a condition that can happen to pilots in low visibility, when they cannot tell up from down or discern which way an aircraft is banking, board members said. Here, “can happen” is misleading: if a pilot loses outside visual reference and doesn’t promptly refer to appropriate aircraft instruments, he **will** lose spatial orientation - proper flight control is unlikely to last even a minute. A pilot of Zobayan’s experience certainly knew this, so the best guess is that he thought he could quickly climb above the clouds - a deadly and inexcusable error. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/214 "2021-02-10T15:13:10Z")
I figured it was something like this. Sad to hear. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/215 "2021-02-10T15:20:41Z")
A puzzle is why the pilot, having decided to fly in cloud, didn’t switch to aircraft instrument reference before doing so. This would have been quite illegal and run the (slight) risk of colliding with authorized IFR traffic - but both are true of what he did. The point is that this would have been an easy way to avoid the considerable risk of what actually happened (crash due to spatial disorientation). He probably thought the cloud layer was thin and he’d climb above it in seconds. When that didn’t happen, there was no way to recover. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/216 "2021-10-18T15:02:19Z")
> **[LA County wants Vanessa Bryant to get a psych exam before her lawsuit goes to...](https://www.npr.org/2021/10/18/1046940940/los-angeles-county-wants-vanessa-bryant-to-get-psych-exam-over-lawsuit)** > > Vanessa Bryant and others who lost family members in the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant sued Los Angeles County over leaked photos of the crash scene that were allegedly shared. A lot of people will find this offensive. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/217 "2021-10-18T20:39:40Z")
> **[LA County wants Vanessa Bryant to get a psych exam before her lawsuit goes to...](https://www.npr.org/2021/10/18/1046940940/los-angeles-county-wants-vanessa-bryant-to-get-psych-exam-over-lawsuit)** > > Vanessa Bryant and others who lost family members in the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant sued Los Angeles County over leaked photos of the crash scene that were allegedly shared. They shouldnt. > [@](#): > > In a motion filed in federal court on Friday, attorneys for LA County say Vanessa Bryant and other plaintiffs should be compelled to undergo an independent psychiatric examination. The core of their argument surrounds the families’ claims that they are suffering from “severe emotional distress,” court documents reviewed by NPR say. > > Attorneys for the county said compelling the plaintiffs to undergo a doctor’s evaluation is necessary “to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs’ alleged emotional injuries.” Enough time has passed since his death that I think we can be honest about Kobe. I believe he raped that woman in Colorado. I think his selfish style of basketball was bad for the game. His final game was a complete joke. It was lets just pass to Kobe and let him shoot. Im a lifelong Lakers fan. It pissed my dad off to no end. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/218 "2021-10-18T23:27:09Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I think his selfish style of basketball was bad for the game. It was good enough for 5 championships. The Lakers aren’t complaining. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/219 "2021-10-18T23:28:43Z")
How many more would they have won if Kobe hadnt thrown a hissy fit and made them fire Phil and trade Shaq? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/220 "2021-10-18T23:51:30Z")
I don’t know. How many? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010/221 "2021-10-19T00:40:16Z")
Some number between one and infinity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kobe-bryant-dead-in-helicopter-crash/847010.md?page=12)