To my knowledge up here you can't land at other than a licensed heliport. Money and celebrity status bypasses a lot of regulations.
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OMG... RIP Kobe
- Thread starter Delboy
- Start date
To my knowledge up here you can't land at other than a licensed heliport. Money and celebrity status bypasses a lot of regulations.
NTSB crash update. No real news. They believe engine was running and rotors were spinning just prior to impact. All accounts I have heard up to now support that theory. I was hoping for info on a plugged servo valve (or lack of plug) but am not surprised that any comment on that will be much deeper in the investigation.
www.cp24.com
Kobe Bryant helicopter had nearly cleared blinding clouds
The pilot of the helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe Bryant and eight others was almost out of blinding clouds when he suddenly plunged and crashed into a Southern California hillside, investigators and aviation experts indicated.
www.cp24.com
And so It begins
First of many lawsuits to come
First of many lawsuits to come
Well that was entirely expected. Based on what we know so far, she has a good probability of winning. The out for the company could be a clear company policy that states they do not fly in questionable weather and disciplinary history against other pilots for violating the policy. In the absence of that history, I think they might as well lock the doors. Not unreasonably, she could sue for the loss of Kobe's future income which is orders of magnitude more than the helicopter company income or insurance.
Lawsuits piling up. Interestingly, the new ones leave the pilot and his estate out. I wonder about this. On one hand, his family has already suffered as they lost someone too. On the other hand, the decision where and when to fly is ultimately on the pilot and he is the most at-fault in the crash (assuming that this was IMC related and not a mechanical failure on the helicopter). Leaving him out means you are chasing money not blame right? Assuming they did win against the company, doesn't that just trickle down to the company suing the pilots estate for flying into IMC contrary to their policies? It just seems simpler to put everyone on the initial lawsuit and let the courts apportion blame (or lack thereof).
www.cp24.com
Families sue helicopter company in deadly Kobe Bryant crash
Family members of four of the eight passengers killed in a helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant and his daughter have joined the NBA star's widow in filing wrongful death lawsuits against the companies that owned and operated the aircraft.
www.cp24.com
If we screw-up at work and do harm or damage to the public, who normally gets sued the company or the employee? Restaurant employee does not prep correctly and people get food poisoning (some die)... Oil change guy forgets to tighten the drain plug and engine blows up...
Could it be as simple as that?
Could it be as simple as that?
Maybe. I'm not a lawyer. Most lawsuits I have seen name everybody (even people that have nothing to do with it) and let the courts sort it out.
Then they assign blame in percentages and the money comes out of the deepest pockets.
As expected VFR into IMC. Pilot was at fault. Now we'll see how the civil cases play out. The pilots brother was arguing yesterday that the estate should not be at all liable. Now that NTSB has dropped it straight into the pilots lap, it will be interesting to see whether the courts consider the estate liable.
With no cockpit voice recorder everyone that actually knew what was happening leading up to the crash died in the crash. Maybe the pilot just decided to break the rules or maybe he wanted to set it down or go back and someone was chirping at him to just get us there (or else).
Either way, it was the pilot's decision in the end and there is no doubt on that. If there was "chirping" at best it may influence percentage of blame for the Tort.
Either way, it was the pilot's decision in the end and there is no doubt on that. If there was "chirping" at best it may influence percentage of blame for the Tort.
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Was the pilot's authority actually respected here though? It sounded to me like there was a lot of pressure on flying Kobe around. If he didn't like you, you didn't get to fly for him. And since you can only have so many pilots on the roster that potentially means you don't have a job. So do you risk telling Kobe, who plans his day around not having to drive long distances, that he is not going to be able to make his engagement because of bad weather?
Sadly, that's what he signed up for and it cost him his life. You can certainly listen to input from passengers, but ultimately, it is the pilots decision how, when and where to fly. If they make bad decisions sometimes they pay the ultimate price.
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