RIP Kobe Bryant

[LostAnotherOne]

Terrible news

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5441090&ved=2ahUKEwjBzfbhkKLnAhUDq1kKHRthAwEQlO8DMAB6BAgGEAU&usg=AOvVaw0P0xkP37nmmcYdkFGvawdD&ampcf=1

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by LostAnotherOne

[misfish]

Yes indeed.

Very sad and so young and his daughter perished as well.

[Rizzo]

crazy stuff. Reading this morning it was very foggy conditions. Sounds like the pilot had circled around for a while potentially waiting for the fog to lift. Very sad

[mamona]

OMG too bad... Other news say

Quote

The fog conditions were so bad that the Los Angeles Police Department had grounded its flights that morning, deeming it too dangerous to fly.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I grieve whenever someone is taken too early in life, especially a child. I could not find 1 news station that was not talking about his and his daughters tragic loss. 7 others died on that chopper and not much  mentioned about them and the 2 other children that perished as well. The pilot wasn't even mentioned. He had a family too.

Some reported about his rape allegations years ago that was settled out of court. Maybe not the proper time for that but it is a fact. I grieve whenever someone is taken in the prime of their life, especially a child. There were thousands that died since yesterday accidentally and young people as well, no mention of them on CNN. 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Old Ironmaker

[cisco]

RIP Mr. Bryant and all else aboard. Money. Massive amounts of money enabled purchase of a labor-saving device. A helicopter to save time getting places he otherwise would have to be driven too. How many celebs have we lost over the years to small craft flight disasters or to fast car disasters? Money. It brings with it a degree of 'hubris' to many. This in exchange for caution.

Money should be used safely. He had all the time in the world. No rush. Probably not a care in the world and was looking forward to getting to a game where his achievement of total points  scored would be handed to Lebron James. Limelight was waiting even more than usual. 

A choice was made. Sadly the dice was rolled once too often. If the flight was successful it would have given the wrong message that next time with similar conditions it would also be fine. All just to save some time on the road. 

Always be careful when considering a method of transportation folks. Always err on the side of caution especially when the safety of others depends on you.  

Edited February 8, 2020 by cisco

[irishfield]

"YES Mr Bryant I can get your daughter and coach to the game on time". A very sad mistake for him to give in to "just gotta get there" mentality. PIC broke most rules in the book, including his companies. True reality, trust me I've broke too many of them myself.. a trip to Nipigon comes to mind...

Edited February 13, 2020 by irishfield

[Old Ironmaker]

I was waiting for a comment for you Irishfield. PIC is the acronym for what Sir? As more facts come out in the intense investigation the pilot did not follow procedure. Was he pressured to fly his high profile client? I don't know if there is a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) on choppers. A recorded conversation on the CVR may show if there was pressure on the pilot to fly. I have been told that Phycologists can actually make a determination of a pilots state of mind  based on voice. As far as getting from point A to point B by car rather than a helicopter as a safer choice as Cisco tries to make he obviously has not driven in L.A. traffic. It makes the 401 around T.O. seem like a leisurely Sunday drive in the country compared to Los Angeles's 404. I can't quantify the numbers but can safely say that several thousands have died in automobile accidents since that fatal flight and have not read or heard of another fatal Helicopter crash since. It has been deemed that air travel is far safer than driving an automobile based on pro rated data. After seeing the aftermaths of 100 car pile ups on the 400 series highways on slick ice winter days and summer fogs that pop up without notice on the 401 and 402 west of London I sure would rather be flying than driving in a vehicle those days. Before I retired I had to travel to Michigan regularly on the 401 and 402 during all 4 seasons. Running into a wall of fog doing 120 KPH on a beautiful sunny day with 1000 cars in front and behind you is something I can not explain. Driving the 400 series was the main reason I left the lucrative business. 

[cisco]

PIC means 'pilot in command'. Oh and I agree completely re your mention that helicopters are safer than autos. But not on a day with fog and with the flight limitations that particular helicopter apparently had.  A limo leaving early to compensate for traffic is what I'm suggesting. Your opinion is kinda like saying hunting is safer than the drive to go hunting. I would agree, but not when you have to walk out to your deep water blind in fog walking on 2 inches of ice. Your tremendous experience driving around does not include helicopter flights does it? Not sure why you mention your past employment as it has no relevance. 

With the number of people being transported a regular car wouldn't have been large enough. A much safer limo/huge Suburban would have been needed. Bet that could have been easily arranged. Again, sad we lost such a great athlete and person to a bad choice in which labor-saving device to use on that tragic day. 

[Old Ironmaker]

On 2/14/2020 at 5:32 AM, cisco said:

 

Not sure why you mention your past employment as it has no relevance. 

 

What I woefully tried to make the point that the pressure, anxiety and almost fear, I'll admit that, that I felt driving the 400's series highways in all weather conditions almost daily. Mostly poor conditions because of the weird fog in spring, summer and fall that would suddenly appear on the 401 west of London and the Lake Effect snow storms we had to drive through on the 402 to Sarnia I said enough is enough and I sold my share in our lucrative  business to my 2 partners at a cut rate price. A 2 1/2 hours drive could turn into a 4 or 5 hour or longer drive as I had to pull over to wait out the fog or snow storm or wait on line for hours for the tow truck drivers to get a 52 foot rig on it's wheels. More than a few times I saw tarps draped over something in a crushed 53' rig or car. That was a dead person under those tarps. Something I should say is often I was driving a 15 ton truck with a load of glass in it and strapped to it, not a Toyota.  Watch a few episodes of that series about the tow operators working on the 400 series highways and you will get what I mean. I made it through working in the Steel plant with most of my fingers and only few skin graphs and I will be dammed if I was going to be killed driving on a  highway.  30  or less years earlier I would not have even blinked at driving in any conditions. Something one can not explain happens when you turn 50, and that was a long time ago. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Old Ironmaker

[cisco]

My mistake it seems. So you wouldn't have taken that chopper up if you were the pilot when even the cops had grounded their choppers? Smart. Hindsight is 20/20 though.  

Not sure why you seem to be 'woefully' arguing the point that safety of others is less important than cutting corners getting someplace more quickly. Of course there will be excuses why the chopper went up. Just like when a trucker who crushes a car in the fog may say his kid's birthday was important to get too.  

Regardless of the 'psychology' of the pilot's or Kobe's mind at the time it was a PIC decision, no one else's. Pilot is Captain of the air ship. NO excuses. Now perhaps fog wasn't the issue and the chopper experienced catastrophic failure by hitting....a drone or flock of birds. Time will tell. But I feel you need to realize my 'simple message' that cutting corners and taking chances with the life of yourself and others isn't worth it. You can get away with driving a chopper of big-rig in the fog for many times. But sadly it only takes one time for odds to turn.  Psychology be da%ned! No excuse for endangering the life of yourself or others while making a living. Follow the rules and even then err on the side of caution. Done here. 

      

[Old Ironmaker]

I packed in  my job because I didn't need the stress of driving long distances and being on time any longer. I was putting up to 2000 K's on my car a month, or more.  One way from our place to the showroom was 100 KM's, everyday sometimes 7 days a week.  I don't think in fact I know that no one says this will be my last day on earth because I'm flying or driving somewhere unless they are suicidal. Hell even walking like the 9 year old that drowned playing on the ice 15 minutes from where we live Saturday. Is driving 95 in an 80 KPH zone cutting corners? A rhetorical question no answered required. Same goes for driving in the rain or snow or into a blinding east or west Sun, even sneaking through a yellow light. We cut corners in our lives continually aware of it or not.