Lakers Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash

The update is more horrific than the original story. Very saddened to read that his young daughter, as well as more victims than originally thought were also lost. I can't imagine what her mother and sibling are going through right now. The cartoon "prediction" is really eerie. I wonder if it can be accessed other than Twitter? I don't have an account. Lots of people have been death hoax victims but now his is ironic.
At first, when they reported that 5 people were killed & 4 haven't been identified, I thought, "Oh, no...Kobe has 4 daughters."
 

from ESPN ..
COSTA MESA, Calif. -- John Altobelli, a highly successful baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was among the victims of the helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday morning. Altobelli died alongside his wife, Keri, and his 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa, the family confirmed to ESPN.
The three were traveling with Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, to a youth basketball game when the helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California. Alyssa and Gianna, who is also 13, were teammates. Altobelli, 56, coached at OCC for 27 years, leading the Pirates to four state titles and more than 700 wins.
"He kind of gets overshadowed by Kobe a little bit," OCC associate baseball coach Nate Johnson said, "but he was his own Kobe of the junior college baseball world."
 
Main news stations report there was heavy dense fog yesterday, that even the sheriff's dept. would'nt fly their helicopters due to the high risk of vision being too poor to navigate...also it looks like the copter hit a hillside before crashing....
 

Off topic (Sorry) - Do helicopters even have a glide ratio?
Interesting question, to which I do not know. Generally, when I flew a Boeing 767, we would generally stay around 20-1. Once we locked onto the ILS using the Localizer Beam, there is a part called the glideslope, which shows the pilot his path to the runway. The pilot then adjusts his speed, slats and flaps while descending. By following the glideslope, the pilot can put the plane right down on the runway. The rate of descent is about 20-1, using about a 3 degree descent.

I know this sounds easy and once you do it a few hundred times, it becomes kind of routine, but very busy time in the cockpit while landing.

The ratio of 20-1 means that for every 20 feet of distance, the plane would descend 1 foot.
 
from ESPN ..
COSTA MESA, Calif. -- John Altobelli, a highly successful baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was among the victims of the helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday morning. Altobelli died alongside his wife, Keri, and his 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa, the family confirmed to ESPN.
The three were traveling with Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, to a youth basketball game when the helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California. Alyssa and Gianna, who is also 13, were teammates. Altobelli, 56, coached at OCC for 27 years, leading the Pirates to four state titles and more than 700 wins.
"He kind of gets overshadowed by Kobe a little bit," OCC associate baseball coach Nate Johnson said, "but he was his own Kobe of the junior college baseball world."
I umpire college baseball and met Altobelli while working the Cape Cod League back in 2012.
 
Never heard of this guy! So, I can't be sorry since so many people die each day. Some by natural causes, some by crime & many by accidents; like this guy. Guess it was his time to go!
 
My prayers go out to all the families who lost loved ones during this sad time.
I'm going off topic here,what I'm going to say about Kobe is my own opinion,will probably get negative responses but it needs to be addressed
I'm always amazed when these high profile sports figures/celebrities who are so beloved by fans,have everything they could possibly want, still feel the need to 'cheat' on their spouse/partner like its okay and its not.
In 2003,2 yrs into his marriage Kobe was accused of raping a Denver hotel employee,he said it was consensual,she disagreed.She dropped the charges but later sued him was settled out of court I remember watching the news conference, felt extremely sorry for Kobe's wife,Vanessa sitting there listening to him apologize to his team mates&her on national television.I didn't believe he was really remorseful.I don't understand why she would stay with him after being humilated like that.In 2011, she filed for divorce,2 yrs later they got back together.
 
My prayers go out to all the families who lost loved ones during this sad time.
I'm going off topic here,what I'm going to say about Kobe is my own opinion,will probably get negative responses but it needs to be addressed
I'm always amazed when these high profile sports figures/celebrities who are so beloved by fans,have everything they could possibly want, still feel the need to 'cheat' on their spouse/partner like its okay and its not.
In 2003,2 yrs into his marriage Kobe was accused of raping a Denver hotel employee,he said it was consensual,she disagreed.She dropped the charges but later sued him was settled out of court I remember watching the news conference, felt extremely sorry for Kobe's wife,Vanessa sitting there listening to him apologize to his team mates&her on national television.I didn't believe he was really remorseful.I don't understand why she would stay with him after being humilated like that.In 2011, she filed for divorce,2 yrs later they got back together.
At least Kobe admitted in a press conference that he was ashamed. Of course, he may have been acting.
Cheating on your spouse is not taken as the serious betrayal that it is these days (if it ever was).
One thing I haven't figured out: Why Kobe got away with it, but Mike Tyson was convicted & served 6 years in prison for rape.
 
No doubt a HUGE loss to the sports world in general, and the basketball world in particular....Not to mention his family & friends but.......

The way in which some are mourning him is amazing/unbelievable .....One guy [on talk radio]claims he drove all the way down to LA [from Canada]...crying all the way !!.....There were others but, long list of silliness.......so.
 
No doubt a HUGE loss to the sports world in general, and the basketball world in particular....Not to mention his family & friends but.......

The way in which some are mourning him is amazing/unbelievable .....One guy [on talk radio]claims he drove all the way down to LA [from Canada]...crying all the way !!.....There were others but, long list of silliness.......so.
I've marveled at that sort of thing too.

I've never been that moved by the death of any public figure.

Maybe that says more about me than the people who are.
 
I would say!!! Who ever dies, no matter, a child, a personality you don't know, is sad....

God Bless the people in the crash....They were people and have loved one's....It has to be an awful place to be to have
loved one's that are no longer here on earth....(I hope no one here or anywhere have to endure a loved one dying in a
crash or any other accident)…. Think about it, People!!
 
No doubt a HUGE loss to the sports world in general, and the basketball world in particular....Not to mention his family & friends but.......

The way in which some are mourning him is amazing/unbelievable .....One guy [on talk radio]claims he drove all the way down to LA [from Canada]...crying all the way !!.....There were others but, long list of silliness.......so.
Today, people are really desperate for hero worship, because true heroes are few. People have called Kobe & other people in professional sports "Heroes." Nonsense. All that does is cheapen what a true hero is.
 
Today, people are really desperate for hero worship, because true heroes are few. People have called Kobe & other people in professional sports "Heroes." Nonsense. All that does is cheapen what a true hero is.

I agree. Make no mistake, as I've already said what happened to Kobe, his daughter, and the other victims is tragic. Condolences to all the families.

However, when I think of heroes I think of people such as Auschwitz survivors (I posted a thread a few minutes ago).
 
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I've marveled at that sort of thing too.

I've never been that moved by the death of any public figure.

Maybe that says more about me than the people who are.
What that says about you is that you live in the real world - of reality, not the silly fantasy world many people live in. The death of one celebrity is not any more tragic than the death of any regular person.
Sure, it's terrible that a man with 4 kids is killed. But any person's death (wealthy celebrity or not) is just as tragic.
 
What that says about you is that you live in the real world - of reality, not the silly fantasy world many people live in. The death of one celebrity is not any more tragic than the death of any regular person.
Sure, it's terrible that a man with 4 kids is killed. But any person's death (wealthy celebrity or not) is just as tragic.


Agree here !
 
I never criticize another pilot, but I think when it's all over and done with, the NTSB will conclude that pilot error by using poor judgment will at least have played a part in this accident. Pilots normally will keep ATC informed of weather conditions. Why was the pilot circling? Was he looking for a clear hole to ascend through? Any pilot, even in an airplane above the fog would have been able to report back what the ceiling of the fog was. And, I still don't understand that according to witnesses, the copter came straight down, is that right?

I often would report to ATC where the smoothest air was and the best weather. Just like all other pilots did and do. There is also Doppler radar, which has been known to see clouds, including fog.

As a pilot of a Boeing 767, I have taken off in fog so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Taking off in fog is less riskier than landing in fog. You sometimes just don't know if there are any ice crystals inside of those fog clouds.

I do feel for the families. It's a terrible loss to lose of a loved one anytime for any reason.
 
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Today, people are really desperate for hero worship, because true heroes are few. People have called Kobe & other people in professional sports "Heroes." Nonsense. All that does is cheapen what a true hero is.


Agree here....bugs me as well when the term 'hero' is thrown around like it is.
 


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