Kobe Bryant: He Died As He Lived. (P. 2)

I feel Kobes pilot lost control of chopper. The chopper had too many passengers. Hit the winds from Pacific ocean as it was going up, and the winds pulled it downward. New partial report seems to put blame on pilot.

I feel Kobes pilot lost control of chopper. The chopper had too many passengers. Hit the winds from Pacific ocean as it was going up, and the winds pulled it downward. New partial report seems to put blame on pilot.

No.. It was not related to any winds or a weight a balance issue. A few decisions were made which lead to this crash which I explained when this happened;

1. A decision by the PIC (Pilot in Command) to fly in very marginal weather. The aircraft was equipped for IFR (Instrument Flight Rules), but the company didn't have the operation specifications to do so. The PIC was current to operate under IFR, but was most likely not acclimated.

2. Inadvertent entry into IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions). It happens when flying in marginal weather and can lead to spatial disorientation if not acclimated.

3. Spatial disorientation which is defined as a lack of orientation in regards to position, movement, and attitude of the aircraft in space. The body uses three integrated systems that are separate from one an other, but work in conjunction to help us ascertain spatial position. They are the eyes, the vestibular systems, and the somatosensory systems. I am not going to get into detail because it could take me three days to type this. Basically, one of these systems (the eyes) was removed considering he was IMC. He was relying on the other two systems and not trusting the instrumentation in the aircraft, which is critical when flying in weather.

4. Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT, usually pronounced cee-fit) is an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, a body of water or an obstacle. You would be surprised at how many times this happens, even under IFR. CFIT has become a very important phenomenon in the aviation world and this story will be talked about for a very long time. There are systems that have been developed that assist the pilots in preventing CFIT. Unfortunately, from what I have heard, helicopters are not required to have them. I think that is what Kobe's wife is trying to solve.

Let me know if you have any other questions.