Kobe Bryant Dead in Helicopter Crash.

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SWAdude

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This memorial on TNT is tearing me up...

My lord. Me too.

When I was twelve I went to this thing for a raffle and put Jerry West on the ticket. They pulled it ouf the hat and I won. So I was Jerry West for a night.

Thank you Jerry for talking Kobe down from leaving.

I just always feel like crying right now.
 

SWAdude

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I do not understand if things were similar how the helicopter got below 500 ft regardless of not being about to see. If he was instrument certified there’s no way he’d go lower, which leads me to believe something happened mechanically. I guess instrumentation could of gone awry.

These types of things are a bit in my wheel house and some of it is not.

At this point I really doubt it was mechanical. A big part of me wants it to be. But at this point very likely not. The part that is not in my wheel house I have become more educated in the past 48 hours. about some basics of flying helicopters.

What is in my wheelhouse is being instrument certified in aviation does not mean one can currently fly an aircraft under instrument flight rules (IFR). And the company was a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) only helicopter company. Which is far more common than not. My educated guess is the pilot was not legal to fly under instruments both under the companies certificate and under the pilots personal currency.

Fate is a delicate thing.
 

CGI_Ram

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I do not understand if things were similar how the helicopter got below 500 ft regardless of not being about to see. If he was instrument certified there’s no way he’d go lower, which leads me to believe something happened mechanically. I guess instrumentation could of gone awry.

Yeah.... The way the reports read they seem to suggest pilot error or lack of visuals... but the flight seemed somewhat erratic to me.

I don't know. Those changes in altitude seem peculiar. If you can't see, the last thing you'd want to be is too low. Seems odd.

But that is just my thoughts. No basis or experience to suggest I know what I am talking about. LOL
 

SWAdude

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Yeah.... The way the reports read they seem to suggest pilot error or lack of visuals... but the flight seemed somewhat erratic to me.

I don't know. Those changes in altitude seem peculiar. If you can't see, the last thing you'd want to be is too low. Seems odd.

But that is just my thoughts. No basis or experience to suggest I know what I am talking about. LOL

This is only my speculation after chasing information and combining what knowledge and experience I have in this general arena. I have zero helicopter training but being in the industry we do work in the same environment and understand some of the nuances of the type of flying they were doing now 72 hours ago.

It appears they encounter full IFR and was attempting to turn around. The sudden climb was to avoid terrain the pilot was aware of then the descent was to get back into marginal visual conditions. If the pilot just climbed out of the clouds he would be above in the clear but game over for making the destination or even get to a place with visual conditions for a safe landing. Being heavily loaded may have limited the amount of fuel they can carry with weight limitations. Helicopters are not really designed for prolong flight like fixed wing aircraft. Although fixed wing can also have narrow limits with the amount of fuel they carry as well. In my job that is my daily balancing act.
 

FaulkSF

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Tonight I'm a very proud Sacramento resident. They gave a touching tribute tonight with a 24 second moment of silence. The PA announcer and Kings announcer were all choked up.

For all the rivalry from 2000-2002, it takes courage and respect to swallow your pride. I guess they realize this figure they've hated on for almost 20 years is gone and departed, no longer with us and the end of an era. Thank you Kings, tonight I'm SacramentoProud
 

LesBaker

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We do know these people on some level and learn to love parts of them. They don't need to know us for us to feel genuine loss.

They are in our living rooms with us sometimes like Kobe for years, year after year after year. Sometimes we see them from the dining room table too, so they are in our homes.

You are right @SWAdude at levels we learn to love them without ever meeting or knowing them.

This was a great post.

When he drove Shaq out, I was upset because I felt they could have dominated more and then when he won without Shaq, my feeling was..."You better have."

Well Shaq won one without Kobe first winning one without Shaq but it's fucked up thats for sure.

Those two would have had a couple more rings had they been able to get along.

Dunno if this has been posted but Kobe Bryant will be posthumously inducted into the 2020 NBA Hall of Fame. They are waiving the remaining waiting period. I suspect his approval will be done unanimous.

There is always ONE asswipe that votes NO on a fist ballot though right?

Or is that just a baseball writer asshole who needs to be stripped of his voting rights.
 

…..

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A few Images from around Atlanta...
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raised_fisT

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My fondest memories with my Dad are sitting in front of the TV and watching the old Celtics/Lakers Finals games while shooting baskets on the nerf hoop.

Then, bonding over the young hotshot rookie, KB.

I'm 42. Grew up with Kobe. Got married and had a daughter around the same time he did.
This one hurts. RIP KB. RIP GiGi. RIP to all the other on board as well.