S-76 Down with Kobe Bryant, Daughter and 7 others

[Mark17]

Words can’t describe how sad I am tonight upon learning of Kobe’s Helicopter Going Down Today. My heart goes out to his family and friends. It hurts to my core tonight. Kobe Was an elite talent and a giant in the world of sports but more importantly he was a transcendent Force and role model for all. He followed his dreams and lived his life by example. I truly hope we find answers as to what went wrong so we in the aviation community can learn from this to ensure a tragedy like this never occurs again.

[Bill Greenwood]

Unfortunately, it seems the answer to what went wrong is simple, the pilot flew when both police and news media copters were grounded by choice and he flew into fog, perhaps trying to follow a hwy and in hilly terrain he flew into the ground. Now there is of course not an NTSB report at this time, and I wish we could change that facts or the outcome, and I am sure someone will tell me/us not to "speculate" as to cause at this time. Meanwhile 8 passengers who trusted this pilot with their lives are dead and it doesn't change no matter if we "speculate" or not.
There is a recording with ATC on the news this am where controller tells pilot he is too low to appear on radar for flight following. What should he have done at that time? Either turn back to better weather or land, any where safe. The Kobe party could have easily called an Uber limo and been driven to their destination in an hour or so.
I am not an copter pilot, don't know if they really fly ifr, but I am certain if you fly low in hilly terrain when you cant see, its foolish. Wish he had been solo if he was determined to go on, but don't take 13 year old girls with you.

[Sam Buchanan]

One article I read on a major news site stated the ATC audio recorded the pilot as saying he was climbing above the fog. The helo then entered a very steep turning descent (4000fpm) and hit the ground at 180+ mph. Most of us will draw some conclusions from this data if it proves via the investigation to be accurate.

Very, very tragic.....and lessons to be (re)learned......

[Floatsflyer]

I usually don't like to speculate as to cause when it comes to aircraft accidents until more time has passed and more relevant information and supporting evidence has been gathered. However, the audio evidence to date from ATC appears to easily suggest that this crash was clearly CFIT.

This is a tragedy of immense proportion because major parts of 4 families including young children were snuffed out in an instant. And the real tragedy, IMO, is that it was totally avoidable. Because a helicopter was involved and not a fixed wing aircraft, the pilot could have made the correct decision not to fly into IMC, do a quick180 and land ANYWHERE, a road, a parking lot, a field, a COSTCO rooftop, a baseball diamond, a football or soccer field. ANYWHERE. And either wait out the WX or as Bill said call a stretch limo.

We'll never know how much gotta-get-there-itis might have been a factor in decisions made and by whom. The more I look at this crash, the more it reminds me that it has most of the hallmarks of the JFK Jr. crash in 1999.

[Sam Buchanan]

Or unCFIT........

[enginesrus]

Just horrible news it was. The NTSB today read about the route at the end I thought they said the pilot said he was climbing to avoid a cloud, atc asked what his intentions were and no reply, radar showed it at 2300 feet then it turned left and off the scope.
So what direction does that main rotor turn? Maybe lost tail rotor?

If that aircraft did not have synthetic vision something is wrong. No excuse these days for disorientation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pjNIYm5zNo