Kobe Bryant's Last Flight: What We Know About His Helicopter's Route | Visual Investigations

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A deeper look at the route of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter before it crashed to understand how such an accident could occur.
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[@nytimes]

Read our full story: nyti.ms/2S6d4EW

[@haileesteinfeld249]

Read here about his MeTo unfriendly past. www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/sports/basketball/kobe-bryant-charged-with-felony-sexual-assault.html

[@fleischmann6859]

@@haileesteinfeld249 *MeToo And?? Adultery. Very unfriendly :'O We will never know...

[@walterkosnick2643]

Fleischmann The woman said it happened, and he took the allegations seriously enough that he settled with her, we know.

[@dwong7826]

So, guys doing investigative reporting: The helicopter's planned route was to proceed west over US 101 for about 24 miles to the destination, Camarillo Airport. So, the big questions is, "WHY DID THE PILOT VEER OFF US 101 TO FLY SOUTH OVER LAS VIRGENES ROAD?" Las Virgenes heads south into the Santa Monica Mountains. There is no where to land there or anywhere near Calabasas. The next question is, "Why did the helicopter turn to the left descending over Las Virgenes to hit the mountain?" These questions could and should have been asked two days ago!

[@homevapor8487]

@@dwong7826 spatial disorientation and climate conditions.

[@wiseferret4745]

That poor child. It always hits me hard when the young die. So many experiences, so many opportunities, never to be seen. I hope her family makes it through this.

[@danelmore6553]

Child? There were at least two, perhaps three, children on board.

[@ravex24]

There was 3. Alyssa Altobelli, Gianna Bryant, & Payton Chester, all 13 yrs old.

[@keshalove7403]

All those kids and parents r.i.p

[@mica122213]

you mean the one who lost both her parents?

[@lynkent677]

THREE CHILDREN KILLED!

[@MrGNugget]

That’s the thing about helicopters and planes, you’re way less likely to crash in those than a car but if any little thing goes wrong it’s the end for everybody on board. What a tragedy!

[@blak_momba3056]

MrGNugget facts

[@epicscout9826]

I wouldn't say that all the time. With cars if something goes wrong, you may only have but a moment to correct yourself. The thing with (planes, specifically) You have a little time to see what's happening and act accordingly. I've never touched helicopters though.

[@jamestopic2880]

Depending on the situation planes can glide down.

[@vavamast-di8oj]

Neanderthal!

[@vavamast-di8oj]

You're not very bright, lol!

[@neal6473]

It just wasn't safe to fly a helicopter on that day that was a very very bad decision.

[@anthonymolina7416]

Even the police grounded their helicopters

[@JJGerrard1980]

It wasn't safe to fly a chopper in the area he flew to. Weather was and stayed perfectly fine in Van Nuys where they took off from. I've heard a # of pilots say there is nothing wrong with flying towards bad weather and "having a look" but you've got to have a way out ahead of getting to it. We all have bad days on the job, most of ours aren't fatal. RIP to all 9 souls lost.

[@johnadams5489]

@@JJGerrard1980 You people that Post on these websites with the WRONG information should READ the COMPLETE flight information before Posting on the Internet. They took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County. It was clear where they started. There was still enough visibility until they approached the Mountains in San Fernando Valley and ran into Marine Fog coming off the Pacific Ocean.

[@johnadams5489]

@Pops Fereal Try reading what JJGerrard1980 Posted. They did not start off from Van Nuys.

[@thurmangirl10]

Facts!!😫😫😫😫💔💔💔

[@redwolfmendoza]

Great visuals, it helps make sense of what the heck happened that day

[@dblock5279]

Just a little I still feel there is a little more but idk maybe not much more but just a little u know.. but the video deff gives a better understanding for sure tho

[@HyperInflation2020]

You think the pilot thought that he had already cleared the mountain?

[@slapshot68]

We won’t kno the cause of the crash for a yr

[@JiaruiChen_]

why does waiting help det the crash. The pilot screwed up

[@JiaruiChen_]

@@mz-cn2qh nah

[@paulbetts4984]

NYT’s forensic architecture and ability to recreate events chronologically and non-speculatively is truly remarkable. I am always so impressed by the quality of these short films you release after a major event. Awesome work.

[@jjdaze4162]

@Zac Atkinson Link please

[@dbclass4075]

Here is the recreation of the flight in the perspective of the helicopter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYDPaoWdpNRqgsk

[@vavamast-di8oj]

You're not very bright, lol!

[@vavamast-di8oj]

Neanderthal!

[@blancolirio]

You missed the key data points at the end of the flight....he had climbed well above the final point of impact.

[@soinelle85]

Seems lots of people don't notice that. From 1250 at 131 kts, to 2150 at 110 kts then the very severe altitude drop to 1700 at 153 kts. Been searching on all the data and info on this ever since the tragic moment. It is looking more and more like the pilot suffered Spatial Disorientation. This video gives an idea what it is like. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5Csl6iGp7Oqhq8

[@martinzubero9526]

The best one I’ve seen so far. Please update when new information is released. Thank you.

[@gsf02]

Martin Zubero best Visual Investigations video or best Kobe’s helicopter crash video? Because undoubtedly there’s much more detailed videos of this series, such as Jamal Khashoggi or Syrian bombings.

[@martinzubero9526]

Guilherme Fernandes Talk to the ✋🏽. Dissect at your own leisure however.

[@resetedanchorpure]

This one is legit the same as every other one and some moron has the same comment as you lmao. The best one is where a pilot describes the conversation between the kobe's pilot and the atc so that people who arn't pilots can understand it.

[@AndrewD624]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6KThIeEeLmdhMk This is the best I've seen.

[@mica122213]

flying to fast in fog simple. they didnt feel or see a thing.. 170mph hill plow.. horrible Pilot.

[@shuqahx3]

Man if I was in that helicopter and the pilot was just hovering around because of weather conditions I would have told him to just turn around and go home. Don't fly through it.

[@coachk7833]

I bet Kobe wasn’t told there was a problem! Bet pilot took it upon himself and made the decision to proceed through the bad weather.

[@renewedservant7]

Pops Fereal you aren’t rich either, peasant 🖕🏽

[@chasam1234]

People talk about did the passengers know if there’s a problem well given they circled for 15 mins and then found themselves in fog I would imagine within the.cabin questions were being asked to KB or pilot from passengers ‘ what’s the problem now ‘ or similar.. they were I think aware that there’s a major issue .. adults trying to keep things calm with kids etc while asking pilot ‘ what is it now ‘ ? pilots response.. panic or silence .. while trying to figure out wtf have done to get in this position..... my bet is there would’ve been real concern and growing realisation of that this isn’t good from all on board.. especially when he accelerated downwards.. not good .

[@coachk7833]

Maximus Murphius my guess is that the pilot down played the concern and made it seem like he could handle the situation when in reality he was unsure and maybe panicked inside. They probably didn’t know that they were going down until last seconds. 15 minutes of circling without a decision to go back let’s me know Kobe and parents did not know the gravity of the safety risk they were in. Trust when I say as a parent, if for a second they had any understanding of the potential risk, easily Kobe and parents would have asked to land and wait or uber to the game. Pilot made those decisions primarily on his own.

[@missbombaclaudietv9011]

You would have done that but Kobe would not have. Getting to practice was very important to him. Plus he flies everyday at the time that fog was really no big deal to him.

[@nocalsteve]

CAUSE OF CRASH: The pilot was trying to fly as low as possible to stay below the overcast in poor visibility. As the terrain started to rise along the 101 the pilot was forced to start climbing into the overcast which blocked all of his visibility and he lost sight of the ground and could no longer track the 101. The helicopter flew south of the 101 before the pilot finally gave in and tried to turn around by attempting a 180 degree turn to the left while in complete instrument conditions. In the turn, which could only be completed by flying on instruments, the pilot sped up and started descending trying to get back to lower ground so he could get back under the overcast and regain visual orientation. Unfortunately, the pilot's horrifically poor judgement had put him in a position where he was flying completely blind, had lost track of where he was, and had no way of knowing where the terrain was. He descended too soon, at too high of an airspeed, and struck a hill that he could not see or avoid. Everyone died instantly. What the pilot did was illegal and reckless, and a common cause of aircraft accidents. All pilots are aware of this situation and are trained to avoid it. A reasonable pilot exercising basic judgement would have landed at Van Nuys Airport, but this pilot continued on taking an unacceptable risk with the lives of his eight passengers.

[@nicolescott5693]

Well said it's all bad judgement on the pilot's behalf

[@gwendolynforest9610]

Sound about right to me.

[@pugasnkr]

Accurate

[@ElementofKindness]

_". . . pilot was forced to climb . . . "_ No. No he wasn't. He's piloting a HELICOPTER. You can land practically anywhere. Absolutely no need to continue at 160kts into a hillside.

[@ERGSEG]

Well said. I don’t want to rag on the pilot but sadly, this was his fault. He was irresponsible.

[@chasam1234]

Pilot panicked ..everything hit at once ..weather , clients ,responsibility and fear ..poor guy got caught out ..RIP.

[@trystangrindstaff9583]

Still , gotta not panic in then situations. It is very awful though it's beyond tragic .

[@chasam1234]

Trystan Grindstaff looks like he wasn’t as experienced as first thought.. especially with VFR makes it even more of a avoidable accident .. legal guys gonna love this 😡

[@trystangrindstaff9583]

@@chasam1234 indeed man , the helicopter made a turn then nose dived is what doesn't makes sense . It was so preventable ! God bless us all

[@TheYunghawk]

Spatial disorientation

[@erykhacastillo7571]

Exactly he didn’t want to say no to Kobe but knew it was getting worse by minute

[@thespadestable]

The cause of the crash: The Marine Layer fog that was pushing over the mountain ridge caused pilot to loose sight of US 101 and he became disoriented. He did not trust himself flying blind with just using IFR and guidance from flight control and was trying to stay as low as possible in search of US 101 visually, while trying to navigate within a mountain ridge. Visibility was next to zero due to the dense fog similar to what's seen covering the Golden Gate Bridge, with an unpredictable change in ground elevation below him. 3 bad situations happening all at one time, that might on average never resulted in an accident or death, but this time it caused the death of a famous retired professional basketball player which is why there's a lot more focus on it than if it was a Joe Nobody. The media needs to be more clear to the general public that the pilot experienced two totally different types of fog during the flight. When he departed he was experiencing typical radiation fog which did not effect his use of VFR which is why he followed the highway system through LA and into Burbank. Once he got into the mountain range he was now experiencing Marine Layer/Sea Fog/San Francisco fog which first reduced his visibility to 2.5 miles then to almost 0.0 miles. That is the fog that forced the sheriff department to ground their flights and hindered air searching efforts, not the radiation fog.

[@technurse56]

really interesting. thanks.

[@amiesmith7283]

Jack Spade , I appreciate your effort in analyzing this. I just listened to another Pilot who said, he should’ve declined flying due to bad weather or climbed up into the clouds?

[@christopherjones8025]

It closed in on him. He Got disoriented was blind was not trusting his gauges . All happening fast. Couldn’t tell were he was. Can happen to best of pilots That’s just speculation though. Maybe he climb to fast and his torque load was to much and started to bank left and started to dive then it to late. Thousands of things and responsibilities as a pilot. It can happen to the best of the best. No day of flying is ever the same.

[@anasg2419]

why didn't he just stoped flying ???? in case of keeping with all those issues happening ... thats the question

[@24KinfO]

Guess what? BS! He's professional they keep saying it. Meaning that this wasn't his first fog. The man committed suicide and killed everyone. End of story. He was told a thousand times that he was too low and he went off the path that he was instructed to follow. I can see it now, you'll be wearing the devils chip because they told you so. Explain his sharp left turn, or his u turn please? Because I am not an expert. I just use critical thinking and common sense. Like what was so special about him having permission to fly but la cops couldn't. Sounds like 911 to me. The army was doing a simulation elsewhere while real supposed planes crashed in the building that they were imitating? He was paid in my heart. The fog lol kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJO7fX2EZ6tketk

[@lolbro2697]

Truly tragic.

[@somebody3949]

LOL BRO this is so close to what trump tweeted💀💀💀

[@sinhasinha6706]

Yes..😭

[@lolbro2697]

What did he say, "its a big beautiful tragedy"

[@arbaz79]

I was waiting for this video.I knew you guys will make one on it.

[@AshgabatKetchumov]

Following this tragic accident I am now more grateful than enraged whenever my flight gets delayed due to weather, even the most inconvenient of timings.

[@softshell812]

I haven't really processed any of this until hearing "helicopter missed clearance by 25-30 feet" my heart is on the floor....

[@jalenking810]

This is why I don’t like that info being spread. While that is true, if you saw the terrain they surely would’ve crashed soon after. It was inevitable when he took the left turn

[@societynewsnetwork5973]

He made the clearance Oh look more hills... Sorry your heart is still on the floor🙄

[@laurascreamermagazine438]

Sad thing is even if they had cleared that particular mountain they would have hit another one for sure. The mountains are all different sizes over here.

[@jamesross1798]

Even if they cleared 20-30 feet, they still would've hit the backside slope of the mountain because of the helicopter's decline pattern

[@thurmangirl10]

Basically flew right into that hill. 😣🤦

[@101Queenisis]

I really pray for his family and friends that have to hear the exact details Over and Over and Over....

[@juicyjayplays07]

I cant imagine how his wife is feeling she deserves love and attention it didnt need to end this way rest in peace kobe bryant and remember to always to follow your dreams you will never be forgotten

[@30vam]

As if he cared for his wife He cheated on her multiple times

[@juicyjayplays07]

@@30vam that was 8 years ago that's over with and she knew about and still didnt divorce him and if it did bother her she wouldn't be with him unless she is a golf digger and she only cared about him for money

[@TimelessTam]

@@30vam you seem to be a very bitter and unhappy person. We're all born sinners. He/she without sin cast the first stone. So, therefore I know you aren't a person who has never sinned. And one sin isn't greater than the other. Be grateful that your sins will never be broadcasted to the world and neither will your death. From ashes we come from and ashes shall we return.

[@carolhutchinson7763]

@@TimelessTam: So cheating on your taxes or stealing a cookie out of a Whole Foods bin is as bad as murdering someone for money or raping a child? You people never cease to amaze people with your nonsense. 🙄

[@TimelessTam]

@@carolhutchinson7763 "You people"... Prejudice seems to naturally be apart of your character. If you had a higher power or actually believed in one, then you would be able to answer your own question. Seek and you shall find. Clearly ignorance isn't bliss or you would've just kept reading and scrolling.

[@caper087]

Rest easy Kobe Gianna and the rest of the passengers on board... you all will be truly missed 💔

[@danaldape]

Visual investigations is the best thing on KZbin!!! Do more of these!!!

[@__-ue8lc]

I love Visual Investigations. It awsome watching someone do there job so great!

[@thehaitiandrip260]

Great Investigation R.I.P to Kobe, his daughter and everyone else on that plane

[@slapshot68]

In a yr, we will kno the cause.

[@iiheart_jordxn2899]

R.I.P to Kobe fan I’m so sorry veanesa I know how sad it is to lose a legend and to the rest of the fam bam and I was sad too and I hope you guys get better soon

[@IzaiahCantu]

Rest easy Kobe and all 7 others💙

[@janakinandanpemmasani4782]

8* bud

[@DarkwearGT]

@@janakinandanpemmasani4782 8 likes noice Oh u son of a y u gonna be like thay

[@jeroenjansen2709]

The amount of hours flown is not an absolute indicator of a pilot's skills.

[@nickrolando7747]

These Kobe fans will never understand they will crumble the truth up and throw in the trash the same time they say "KOBE".

[@bluegreensubmarine]

Some One Not many they have to be at least competent to not lose the license. Hours in flight always equals more experience and skill.

[@89turbomk3]

Actually the amount of hours of flown is a good indication of pilot skills and experience but that doesn’t Guarantee that accidents or bad judgment don’t happen

[@JustinLodes]

henry 370z actually it just equates to experience not skill. Skill comes from an individuals I.Q. The pilot in this care was reckless and irresponsible. He should have kept them grounded that day for poor weather conditions. Even the sheriffs department had their helicopters grounded that day because of it

[@89turbomk3]

John J. Rambo actually skill comes from a combination of talent and experience, but people make mistakes and poor choices all the time and sometimes tragic things happen

[@ytfeverguy8367]

Vfr into imc. Don't do it. Low cloud ceiling, rising terrain, an escape maneuver, disorientation all speculated at the final moment of impact in the hills. Prayers

[@unforgettableb3056]

nad that chopper had a TAS system i feel he would've had a chance at at least maneuvering

[@ytfeverguy8367]

watch this to understand why TAwS might have been redundant or ineffective kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6rQlHpjjrCCea8

[@ourcorrectopinions6824]

Completely avoidable crash. So many opportunities to emergency land before entering the valley full of fog in VFR. Can't understand the logic behind proceeding into a death trap like that when he knew the dangerous terrain and practically no room for error.

[@darrellhay]

@@unforgettableb3056 Nope. He climbed into IMC, got disoriented, death spiraled into the ground. Unfortunately that's a thing in VFR to IFR transition. That's also why the high speed and high rate of descent immediately prior to the crash. Hearing a voice say "pull up pull up terrain terrain" is no good when you can't even tell where up is. Until you have piloted an aircraft in IMC conditions you may have no idea of this phenomenon----you literally cannot tell if you are turning, descending, increasing rate of speed or decreasing. It all feels the same and the senses that you rely on on the ground or in relation to the ground do you no good.

[@coachk7833]

darrellhay interesting. Did not know that. Why do you think he didn’t land at open ground or airport when he circled around for 15 minutes? That was the fatal decision.

[@joshuaallen6196]

over and over with the fog being too bad....how did the fog cause him to turn away from the 101 he was following and why would he turn away with no response the controller telling him he is too low? he obviously heard the message of being too low, because his action was to immediately go higher, but gave no reponse, when he responded every other time...i imagine more than fog involved.

[@rhondaelam2112]

Joshua Allen yes, I think so too. I’m thinking done mechanical issues gone wrong also........that helicopter was built in 1991 and I’m guessing not all up to safe standards of today.

[@rhondaelam2112]

I meant “some” not “done”

[@SexyAzzHell93]

Maybe he was trying to go back.

[@CrownRiptideGD]

The control tower COULD hear him. The control tower told him he was too low for flight following and he responded saying he was going to try and get above the clouds. We just don’t have access to that audio log. He then SHOT up dramatically and in my personal opinion, that sudden change in pressure caused him to black out. Then veered to the left and plummeted at 180+ mph. That wasn’t on purpose. Some people even pass out on roller coasters due to the sudden change in pressure. Also, just imagine you falling asleep in a chair. You either veer to the left or right, then fall.. that’s why he was going so fast.

[@pk6336158]

@@CrownRiptideGD what you mean by pressure because that flight was below 10,000ft, you mean g force on the body ?

[@laraghwilkinson2217]

RIP Kobe, Gianna and the 7 others on that flight 😢❤

[@alphonsozorro7952]

One future teen mother less.

[@kylein9869]

I see alot of KZbin pilots coming out the woodwork here.

[@Bnguyen276]

I’m not no pilot but if you listen to the whole audio he was supposed to take the 101 to hwy 5 then to 118 west. The pilot never got on the 118. He passed the hwy 5 exit and just stayed on the 101 then headed Sw direction into some hills.

[@lockbert99]

@@Bnguyen276 He was supposed to take I-5 to 118, then turn south over the valley after he got clearance and pick up 101 north/west to Thousand Oaks. The controller offered him the option of taking 118 all the way (to 23 and then going south on 23) but he declined.

[@Bnguyen276]

Lockbert yeah he told the controller he was gonna take 1-5. His exact words were him to bank around the 118. But why he didn’t continue on to i5 to 118? He stayed on the 101. He even said roger that admiting that’s the route he was gonna take

[@Bnguyen276]

Lockbert so why didn’t he take it if he said roger that and went different route. That was the route the pilot suggested the control center said okay.

[@lockbert99]

@@Bnguyen276 Have you seen a map that shows the flight path? They have one at the start of this video "Kobe Bryant S-76B UPDATE 31 Jan 2020". I don't see him getting on 101 until he goes all the way around the Burbank airport to the north (I5 to 118) and then when Van Nuys gives him permission he heads south across the valley to hit 101.

[@pjjulian5243]

Thank you for sharing, i am heart broken, condolences to the family 🤧😢😢🤧

[@mshieh70]

Most of aviation accidents are due to pilot errors. Clearly the pilot was not comfortable flying in the fog should ask to land the chopper in emergency.

[@theblakex]

Clearly the pilot was afraid to tell Kobe that they needed to land. It's like being Michael Jackson's doctor.

[@AshaHermes]

Yes it foggy and dangerous but that doesn’t change the fact that god was callin their names,we never knw how and when we’re going to die until it happens💯. So don’t blame it on the helicopter guy cause he clearly didn’t knw he was finns die.

[@gracechase7201]

@@theblakex why would he be afraid of Kobe Bryant

[@hansome91b]

This is so heartbreaking. OMG! Blessings to all families.🙏😭💜💛💜💛💜💛🙏😭

[@garylee3893]

Kobes confidence and calmness, his intelligence and motivation attracted me most, yes his basketball success is undeniable, not being a follower of basketball, I had to ask myself why I cared so much, and that is what I came up with, thank you for your example and inspiration Kobe,

[@voiceoversbystefmarie6750]

I'm so heartbroken💔😥 Rest in Heaven🙏 to all 9 victims

[@jayyag7789]

If you are familiar with OC/LA you'll know this isn't that far of a drive. Sunday morning is the best day of the week as well due to very few cars on the road. I really don't understand traveling this way on a Sunday. Could even be faster to drive to Mamba after factoring in times to and from airports. I grew up near the beach near here. Choppers never fly in fog that thick.

[@whosaidthat84]

OC to Thousand Oaks is almost 80 miles. Flights like this were just routine for Kobe. Still, I wish they would have driven or just stayed home.

[@jessemontelongo5277]

@@whosaidthat84 Sunday mornings, that's a 60 min drive...75 tops.

[@jayyag7789]

@@whosaidthat84 yeah, 80 miles is crazy with LA traffic and just far enough to not want to drive. I use to drive from South OC to Pasadena on Sundays and I was always shocked by how fast I could get there without traffic....This whole thing is just unbelievable

[@GoogleAccount00]

It looked like a 2 hour drive

[@turquoiseturtle4938]

@@jessemontelongo5277 in hindsight, what's 75 minutes to a lifetime without your loved ones?

[@txkis4032]

I've been waiting for these

[@StandingWarrior]

Excellent video. Thanks

[@nomad4k]

As always, insanely good investigative journalism of the highest quality and appropriate, respectful content in the face of such a tragedy. Well done NYT investigations !! Well done !!

[@jerrymontiel3069]

The mystery is why was the pilot going at a very high rate of speed if his visibility was limited? And dropped literally from the sky at a very high rate?

[@prabatwal3060]

Looks like he had a health issue which made him turn left and then descend so steeply. Otherwise it doesnt make sense cos he climbed initially upon entering that area to avoid the clouds. Was he spacially disorientated?

[@himhimwatson]

MATRIX TECHNOLOGY AUTONOMOUS By Sikorsky modified for 76-B ...Thats what took Kobes Helicopters Down..Remote Controlled Helicopter..No reason for Kobes helicopter to fly Left off from the 101..Autonomous Speed goes up to 172..look it up then Tell me what Happen to kobes Helicopters..

[@alexirizarry7804]

He panicked and it cost them there lives 👀😞

[@caliguy525]

Pilot cant slow down a helicopter in low visibility, or he will get disoriented. His left bank turn was so that he could ascend safely in the same direction he came from to proceed with flight following. Unknowingly, in that turn, he got disoriented in the clouds. His climb upward for obtaining flight following just happened to be a descent downward. His altimeter should have alerted the drop in altitude, but you need to remember that when you are moving at 185 MPH, a 1400 feet altitude change only takes 5 seconds.

[@Gforcebond]

Heard something about an illusion pilots fall under when they think they are pitching up but are in fact pitching down. Something to do with the equilibrium in the air.

[@uzielalvarez54]

The video I was waiting for

[@DavidMHA6G]

Thanks 🙏🏽 Guys!

[@mr.cotrain7042]

It's like when are people going to learn just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.....like flying in bad weather.

[@jaseyraeTV]

Mr. CoTrain I remember being on a plane and the pilot tried to land under bad weather and low visibility twice! Kept going above clouds when he couldn't, was silently praying he would stop attempting. Geez I wouldn't probably be alive now if he tried to land again for the third time.

[@EyanDeyv]

The real question is why did the Pilot forced that flight when the officers already cancelled all flights cause of the fog.

[@rumfordc]

@Reyna Arawan then why didn't the radio operators say anything either

[@johannyb6417]

To complete the $$$? Smh

[@rumfordc]

@Reyna Arawan I hear the operators say they're too low, where do they mention "special clearance" ? Also how many operators were there? The woman in your video is a different operator from NYT's.

[@joeyo4163]

What a loss not only for the family but for everyone in general but especially the family. I mean look at what he was doing, he wasn't going around drinking with his buddies or playing golf all day, he spent his time with his daughters and helped so many other kids as well with his charities and sports activities. I'm a Bulls and a big MJ fan but Kobe was on a different level as a person. He actually went to church and received communion and after got on the helicopter and took off. REST IN PEACE BLACK MAMBA. GONE TO SOON.

[@ede8193]

Great information, thank you for sharing!! Please update if you learn more!

[@viralnow316]

My 1st, my one and only idol in NBA. Thank you Kobe Bryant ❤️ RIP my hero.

[@judahguerrero1090]

Not a hero

[@Kimmica20]

Judah Guerrero He may not have been a hero to you, but he was Viral’s hero. Respect it.

[@judahguerrero1090]

@@Kimmica20 @Kimmica20 Which is why I think we prioritize our heroes wrong. Doctors, soldiers, scientists, law enforcement, Firefighters etc. These are REAL heroes. Kobe Bryant was an exceptional athlete who mastered his skill, that is to be respected from the lens of entertainment purposes, but let's not get ahead of ourselves and call it "heroism". Kobe made millions for HIMSELF, Kobe sacrificed his body for HIMSELF, Kobe opened up a gym and named it after his own trademark, for HIMSELF. I am not saying this is a bad thing, matter of fact, more power to him, but to label him as a "hero" is in my personal opinion discouraging. Kobe's legacy doesn't hold merely a fraction of what doctors and soldiers and so many others do on a regular day basis. Remember this, real heroes sacrifice their dreams for the well being of others, and though Kobe Bryant was a tremendous basketball player, he never was a hero.

[@Kimmica20]

Judah Guerrero I said what I said and you wrote all of that. I still say that you have no right to tell someone who their hero should or shouldn’t be.

[@judahguerrero1090]

@@Kimmica20 yeah I did. I see no one mourning soliders and lives in china being taken. That's the problem with this world

[@arcitekk]

The pilot was probably under pressure. He knows that people’s lives are in his hands.

[@JustinLodes]

He was a reckless irresponsible pilot. The right thing to do would have been to tell them to just drive instead of flying in such low visibility. It’s because of him that they all died

[@arcitekk]

Ok

[@dalton2235]

John J. Rambo he flew Kobe almost everywhere. The pilot was certified to fly with instruments and visibility so he had the experience of flying in those conditions. He had 8200 flight hours logged so he knew what he was doing

[@RPPerry1984]

@@dalton2235 Technically IFR Heli Routes require 2 pilots and are only cleared for VFR with a solo pilot. As far as the crash well... all people can do is speculate. It can be tough for pilots who work for celebs who are used to not getting "no" for an answer. May or may not be the case who knows.

[@CrownRiptideGD]

GOD The company that the pilot worked for was VFR only. He was not using instruments.

[@bascal133]

Excellent reporting as always

[@username6135]

Hello. I enjoyed having to buy your newspaper in high school and writing huge reports instead of lunch. Many thanks

[@relloblaze9649]

If you guys really think abt it didnt Kobe only use black helicopter. But is shows on tv that there was a blue and white helicopter something isnt adding up. I love you kobe i hope you still out there❤️❤️. Its just something that came to my mind

[@jarell623]

I think you might be right but who knows the media is protraying a blue and white helicopter and also they cant find the bodies. The plane blew up

[@Iceis_Phoenix]

@@jarell623 he rented the blue copter. The bodies were dismembered and burned bad. Body parts strewn. Happy now?

[@pandaroc1]

I still can’t believe it. Makes me so sad 😞 Kobe, Gigi and the others.

[@abuhussain6305]

Thanks New York times

[@YouAHater11]

This is the video I’ve been looking for, great explanation. At least we now have a sense of what happened that day.

[@Limewolf245]

I know were all grieving here but as someone who has lost a parent when people keep on talking about it hurts so maybe we should die down on talking about it

[@dwong7826]

So, guys doing investigative reporting: The helicopter's planned route would be to proceed west over US 101 for about 24 miles to the destination, Camarillo Airport. So, the big questions is, "WHY DID THE PILOT VEER OFF US 101 TO FLY SOUTH OVER LAS VIRGENES ROAD?" Las Virgenes heads south into the Santa Monica Mountains. There is no where to land there or anywhere near Calabasas. The next question is, "Why did the helicopter turn to the left descending over Las Virgenes to hit the mountain?" These questions could and should have been asked two days ago!

[@chris-hayes]

Were you not paying attention? It was in bad weather. The police called off their choppers because it. It's not so much he "veered" off the highway like some kind of out of control car. He probably lost his bearings, that happens to pilots flying VFR through clouds. I don't think they mention it, but the pilot was flying Special VFR. So, he was flying by keeping the ground in sight, not solely instruments like IFR.

[@deliawolfe]

The investigative report fails to mention the aircraft also rose to 2300ft, higher than any surrounding terrain. It then (according to the NTSA press conference report) descended at a rate of 2000ft/min prior to the crash (about 20mph). I suspect the aircraft suffered an inflight problem (mechanical, hydraulic, electronic, fuel delivery) that - with nowhere to land nearby - prompted the pilot to turn south in an effort to reverse course and attempt a return to Burbank Airport, about sixteen miles East. However, if the problem quickly worsened, the aircraft would lose altitude consistent with the rate cited by NTSA officials. The Sikorsky S76 has a history of main rotor and tail rotor failures. The aircraft in question, a Lockheed Martin Sikorsky S76B (N72EX) was built in 1991.

[@dwong7826]

@@chris-hayes You've jumped to the conclusion without the facts -- the 2 questions have not been asked. Zobayan, the pilot, was extremely familiar with the route and knew the right direction was to follow US 101 west for about 24 miles to Camarillo. The vehicle has a compass and the pilot knows what a 90 degree left turn does when you're heading west -- you head the wrong way, south (watch the video). The south turn was over Las Virgenes Road, which has no landing sites and heads directly into the Santa Monica Mountains -- Zobayan knew all that! In addition, a flight plan change requires the pilot to ask for permission first. Given an experienced pilot who knows the area extremely well, the question needs to be asked -- why did he depart the planned route west and head south? Furthermore, once over Las Virgenes Road, the helicopter turned left, accelerating and descending right into the mountain. I think the responses from aviation experts could be very enlightening.

[@dwong7826]

@@deliawolfe The ascent is the pilot response to instructions to increase altitude for special tracking. However, everything after that is irregular. The radar flight path, altitude, ground and vertical speed data was made public shortly after the crash -- see it here: www.flightradar24.com/blog/kobe-bryant-believed-dead-in-helicopter-crash/. It's been there for days, and it's very disappointing that the press isn't asking questions about the departure (south) from the planned route (west) and the final turn -- accelerating AND descending -- right onto the mountain.

[@bossHogOG]

Chris Hayes sounds like you weren’t paying attention and have already jumped to a conclusion, stupid.

[@goldschool9050]

Excellent reporting 👍

[@Villarreal422]

This is so sad. A beautiful hearted person and a great father and an amazing daughter gone so soon. I just pray for the comfort of their family and the strength to stay strong through this tragedy. I cant even imagine how his wife and children feel. Rest easy Mamba and Gigi. God gained two beautiful Angels

[@areyouraphael]

It’s kinda weird because i was watching air disasters on tv and there was a similar instance where the plane ran into a mountain because of fog and The terrain awareness warning system malfunctioned. Never thought this would happen to kobe. RIP to all who died.

[@ry381]

I’ve watched so many of these type of things to try and figure out what happened, and the one thing I always remember the air traffic control saying is “You’re still too low level for flight following at this time” They were only around 30-40 feet away from clearing that mountain, they were so close to making it. So sad. 😓

[@anthonywomack2260]

Seriously 😥😥

[@BlackPantherrStudios]

Great video

[@lucasbrien5008]

Flight following isn't for rough conditions, it's pretty much for helping pilots avoid other pilots and making sure the pilot is staying safe etc.. It is rarely ever used for rough conditions because you rarely fly VFR (visually) in such conditions.

[@keepballin1978]

Just doesn’t make sense why did he stop replying and then 14 seconds later out of nowhere start going that fast @ all, knowing the conditions they were already in, in a downward spiral

[@xBoxBoOmer]

I also cannot get my head around the other guy who recorded the incident, like he knew the crash was about to happen at that time and place. 🤔 I think there is more to it...

[@SuperDraper23]

Plane was rigged

[@xBoxBoOmer]

@Zac Atkinson maybe. It all doesn't seem like an accident. something did go down and It cannot just be an accident. pilot being suicidal is unlikely in this case since it's more a murder / set up conspiracy in my own opinion.

[@sandysunrise9618]

@Zac Atkinson Something to seriously think about????

[@slopsec2358]

@Zac Atkinson There's a better chance it was aliens. Where do you people come up with all this crap? Occam's razor and all, ya know?

[@badmonkey2222]

Reporter says they were 30 ft from clearing the top of the ridge, they were in a nosedive the pilot had spatial disorientation, they were going to crash ridge or not

[@CrownRiptideGD]

Alan Peters Exactly. And in my personal opinion, he passed out.

[@mariegosnell8906]

Thanks best explanation so far

[@bxbydior586]

This was on my heart today..i can't imagine the thoughts ran thru they heads wit their pressure children oh god bless them💔🙏🏽😔

[@onenation3784]

Cause of the crash: Hard headed Pilot that put his skills to the test and ended up crashing, killing all and himself. Senseless

[@mariekano9730]

Pretty much

[@user-ok5gh4mj9c]

Yup before i watched this video i was sad now after ive watched it im angry and sad

[@marrson6249]

I have heard that two kinds of climbers crashes the most: The beginners and the professionals. Least crashes the medium category, the advanced ones. And I think here it's the same. The beginner says : Fog should be no problem. The professional says: Fog should be no problem for a professional like me. And the advanced pilot says: Hey Kobe, weather report is bad, I have ordered a limousine for you.

[@sjb610]

Getthereitis

[@chesstictacs3107]

Rest in peace my people...😢

[@xanlysphynx8839]

Thanks

[@cherb23]

I can tell you right now that the pilot screwed up and killed everyone or the helicopter broke and crashed. Either one of those options is bad but it doesn't really matter now.

[@robertgary3561]

cherb23 cancel the NTSB investigation; the couch exports have spoken.

[@CrownRiptideGD]

He lost consciousness. He was already disoriented which can make you dizzy and sick if you cannot see in the fog for a long period of time. It can also give you very bad anxiety. Then he shot up so dramatically to get out of the clouds that it probably caused him to black out. Then he veered to left and plummeted. Almost like falling asleep in chair. You lean to the left (or right) then fall.

[@edgarsantiago379]

If I'm rich and famous, and I'm at the airport, with one of my children, and I see how foggy it is, I won't need any pilot to tell me that it's better to take the bus. RIP to everyone in the helicopter

[@catrachaV4]

How its take from he was at first to reach to where they want to go? Could drive...or should have a jet ...

[@dfa3366]

Living in CA in the Bay Area it’s common that flat areas are cloud free but along the coastal mountains you get those conditions especially in the morning hours. It usually burns off by afternoon.

[@matthemmer7114]

this is incredible journalism as always with NYT investigates.

[@JimmyXie]

No one ever explained why his plane suddenly lost altitude after making a left turn? Why didn't the pilot remain the same altitude and proceed slowly? Also, there is usually little traffic on Sundays in LA. I had a meeting in LA the day Kobe's plane crashed, and driving from Orange County to LA only took me 40 minutes cuz there's very few cars on the road. The pilot or the helicopter company really should have advised Kobe to just go by car.

[@darthvader7380]

Jimmy Xie because the pilot wasn’t sure if he was high enough or not to make the judgement and pilot also failed to call into ATC for proper reads to help guide him. Misjudgment ultimately, and probably the cause.

[@JimmyXie]

@@darthvader7380 What's mind-boggling to me was that these pilots are supposed to be experienced and well-trained. Out of all the worst scenarios there is, Im assuming that having thick fog is the most minor. Tammy Jo successfully landed with a single engine, and Sullenberger landed with no engine at all. Meanwhile, this pilot instructor crashed when there is fog...doesn't make sense at all

[@ifunewme]

John McMahon no one explained why his plane suddenly lost altitude .

[@ArthaxtaDaVince777]

@@ifunewme Easy, he went below the fog to have some visibility, and soon realised it was too late anf they were gonna crash.

[@gregoryhill343]

My question is the left turn and descending speed.

[@valerieash]

might be a stupid question, but why isnt the flight route to that location over the coastle water? it just seems to be a safer route along the coast and then inland at point of arrival

[@bryanespinoza1840]

valerieash longer route. Sad that everything is about business and money nowadays.

[@jiaconis]

valerieash Hi Valerieash! It’s a good question! I only live a few miles from his destination airport (Camarillo) and it’s only about 5 miles from the Pacific! It would seem to be an much better option not just in bad weather up in ANY weather! It’s safer and much more direct too! They must have their reasons; I’d be curious too see why they don’t fly coastal...

[@yoshstudio]

Helo flights over water require each occupant wear a approved flotation devices

[@patriceemmanuelcartic5781]

very good analysis..

[@vancralcharles7209]

I'm from Haiti 🇭🇹 watching The NY Times

[@protochris]

The pilot never directly requested flight following by radar; earlier, it was asked of him if he wanted it-he replied yes. If that controller never asked him for it, perhaps he wouldn't have tried to rise up so soon.

[@CrownRiptideGD]

protochris Agreed. It threw him off and he probably lost consciousness.

[@NuairaFilms]

Why didn't they just fly over the ocean shoreline. It seems quicker and safer anyways

[@adi.s_1916]

NuAira Arts I agree but I think it’s a longer route...

[@e-minus3416]

BJ P You’re saying the shoreline route is in fact shorter? Just wondering

[@slopsec2358]

@NuAira Arts That would have required an IFR Flight plan. Which the company did not have OP Specs for. It was a VFR flight.

[@marykingdomchanger154]

It was too foggy apparently from yowa VFR things my question is why didn't they return back considering the weather was against them? Just asking update,watching from Africa back to his ancestors though. RIP MAMBA and the rest of the ppl on board.

[@youman5079]

RIP Kobe Bryant Gone, but not forgotten❤️

[@EsotericOccultist]

I will always love Kobe

[@TheJttv]

There is something weird about using a chartered helicopter to follow the path of a chartered helicopter that crashed.

[@jpocketrocket]

Give a person a birds eye view of what it looks like when flying,very informative,answered a lot of questions ,Prayers go out to all the families.

[@nickrolando7747]

This is not a conspiracy it clearly is a dumb decision to fly instead of drive that short distance think about it.

[@Dimi.g0v]

@@nickrolando7747 You have any data to prove that?

[@nickrolando7747]

Data too prove I guess the evidence is inevitable

[@emilyspecter9532]

@@nickrolando7747 If you were to drive the helicopters flight path that would easily be a 2-3 hour drive. I can see why Kobe regularly used a helicopter to get across the city.

[@FOOTBALLHASHTAG]

RIP 💔

[@sparx180]

Keep it up NYT.

[@itsbennet3371]

R. I. P Kobe Bryant 🙏😢

[@lebeautyprenuer3679]

Clearly the cause was that he couldn’t see the clearing which is why he was flying low in the first place. So sad

[@GeekFurious]

Clearly? How is that clear? As far as we know right now, the helicopter was traveling at a velocity & trajectory that suggests "clearing" the hill would not have saved them. They were crashing there or somewhere else.

[@CrownRiptideGD]

Yes the clouds were the major issue but he veered to the left then plummeted at 180+ mph. He either did it on purpose (which I don’t believe) OR he lost consciousness. Right before he veered to the left and crashed, he did a dramatic LIFT to get above the clouds. That sudden shift in pressure probably caused him to black out- hence the weird sudden left turn and increase in speeds. Just imagine falling asleep in a chair, you either veer to the left or right, then fall.

[@felterhills7973]

better figures out the cause of helli's sudden drop, might not be pilot error...

[@raerae1977]

Ya know its still so tragic wat happened.. Rest In Pure Paradise Kobe and Gigi xx

[@Maximillion666]

The weather was really weird that day. I've only been is LA for about 6 months off and on this year . But I've never seen it so hazy and foggy like it was that day.

[@flonkas]

6 months lmao. It gets that way all the time

[@WolfOfDusk]

Posts keep going viral about their final moments, and their "knowing" of what would come. From my understanding of everything that has been pieced together, along with photos of the cabin of the aircraft, it would seem more like the passengers had not a clue what was coming. Especially considering the very minimal visibility out of the windows. The helicopter crashed into the hill at almost 200 mph. I think it would likely be quick and the passengers were probably mostly unaware. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Though, obviously, no one knows.

[@squid4378]

HMW15 well i mean they must have known something was going on. even if they couldnt have seen out the windows, they must have felt how fast they were going and probably realized it wasnt safe

[@npip99]

@@squid4378 That's just the speed of a helicopter, if they thought helicopters themselves were unsafe why would they have even went on it.

[@joeroll8139]

There hasnt been a crash in that style of helicopter since 2012 one of the safest aircrafts

[@seanjr1720]

Joe Roll weird

[@dontundra2259]

Oh wow that says a lot

[@deathlarsen7502]

A garage band Pilot has nothing to do with the aircraft.

[@mikeb.5039]

Your right about the S-76 but this kind of crash is common, they are not really news worthy till Sunday.

[@novadhd]

Wasn't the copter

[@maxhill9254]

thx

[@JMoody_0]

R.I.P. the Mamba (R.I.P Kobe Bryant)

[@MFBloosh]

They better pass legislation calling for mandatory black box installations in ALL aircrafts. If you can't be certain about what happened, then how can you prevent things like this from happening again in the future? RIP to everyone that was on board...

[@bokani79]

Does anyone also think that the circling for 12 minutes disoriented the pilot?

[@Napalicious11]

Not if he still had visual of the ground, it shouldn’t have caused any disorientation...... right?🤔.... idk🤷🏾‍♀️ 🤦🏾‍♀️...... he wasn’t authorized to fly in the clouds bc he was under VFR.... I’m not a pilot I’ve just been reading a lot trying to figure out what some of these aviation terms mean, but I think he only would’ve gotten disoriented if he has no visual of the terrain. I’m sure a pilot will correct me if I’m wrong.

[@GoogleAccount00]

No. He continued to fly after that

[@CrownRiptideGD]

I think he lost consciousness from shooting up so quickly after already having spatial disorientation. When we could hear his voice, you could hear the anxiety.

[@carecordingco.12240]

Incredible

[@Marwitdamotive4]

5 months later still feels like the day it happened 😔

[@laurascreamermagazine438]

First off, they should never have given clearance for them to continue on from Glendale. And secondly, while the fog was definitely a huge factor, the pilot suddenly turning left and descending so quickly rather than continuing on above the 101 was the fatal moment. In trying to save time by flying, they lost a life of time xs 9. Sundays are not even bad to drive up here. Sad this could have been avoided but interested to see what the final investigation brings. God Bless all 9 victims.

[@darrellhay]

It isn't up to ATC to decide whether it is safe to fly or not. That is 100% on pilot. That is not what a "clearance" means. A clearance means you are not conflicting with other IFR or VFR traffic. Unfortunately many non aviators have a skewed sense of what ATC does.

[@slopsec2358]

@Laura D Why Not? I know this is a very emotional accident for many. I get that. But the problem here was not the weather. The problem was a pilot who was not competent to fly in those conditions. There are clear specific rules and regulations that tell pilots of aircraft exactly what, when and where they are allowed to do certain things. Helicopters have lower weather minimums than airplanes, because they have the ability to safely fly so low and so slow. Unfortunately this pilot chose to do neither of those things. Please don't blame weather conditions on poor piloting technique. To address your comment specifically, Glendale did not give any clearance. Burbank did and then Van Nuys did. As the pilot approached Burbank, the weather was SVFR. This means it was below normal VFR, but still within the minimum safe weather to fly, which was demonstrated by the pilots ability to safely pass through both airspaces at 1400 feet and 150 Kts. So, the controllers did not do anything wrong. After the pilot left Van Nuys, is when one of two things, and possibly both began to happen. Possibly the weather began to drop, while at the same time, the terrain began to rise. I must add in, Helicopters are allowed to operate clear of clouds (This means you must have visual reference to the surface at all times) and in as low as 1/2 mile visibility. The reason they are allowed to do this, is because they can fly slow, stop, hover, go lower and land if they need to. This pilot did none of those things. As the weather worsened, and the terrain climbed, he continued on at 150 + Kts. That's insanely fast for poor weather flying. He should have been doing 45, or 20, or ZERO. He's in a helicopter, he can land if he needs to. This accident happened because of a helicopter pilot who thought it was safe to be buzzing along at 150 Kts in marginal vfr conditions. Condolences and prayers to all.

[@darrellhay]

You have a misconception about what air traffic control does and probably should not be making judgments when you clearly are not a pilot or controller. ATC provides clearance from other traffic, it has absolutely nothing to do with the safety of the aircraft. That is up to the pilot 100%, and the decision to go or not was his alone. He descended so quickly because the aircraft was out of control. This happens when you have no visual reference to ground, in clouds---you literally cannot tell up from down unless flying IFR (with reference to instruments---which he wasn't). There is even a term for it, because it has happened to so many---death spiral, or graveyard spin. He continued into poor weather VFR (visually) and lost control of the aircraft. This is an all-too-common problem. So it was his poor decision making and the weather. Nothing else.

[@reedickyaluss]

The main problem happened as he ascended after being told he was too low. He ascends rapidly, and then veers left and down. 1. Did Pilot lose consciousness from rapid ascent? 2. When he ascended, he lost complete visual. And became disoriented. 0% visibility. Lost where he was and ended up being too low to clear a mountain. 3. Engine or other failure after rapid ascent?

[@fuckem6870]

He was coming to my cities airport crazy man rip