Kobe Bryant

[Vince]

Reports coming out was killed in a helicopter crash this morning in Southern Cal.

[WCpete]

41 years old? What a horrible way to go. RIP Kobe. Shocking.

[S-H]

Shocking.

What a player.

RIP

[Rio]

Damm. One of The all greats

[bitter-iron-ny]

It's confirmed by local news outlets.

[wolf359]

On MSM now. 41 is nothing (I’m 41) never watched basketball but I know his name. 5 dead apparently. RIP all.

[WCpete]

Was just reading an accountant new LA Times about it. The initial reports are really disturbing. It sounds like this was completely avoidable. The chopper took off in heavy fog and the pilot ran into a hillside. Worse still, the crash caused a brush fire and the rescuers had to wait until the firemen could come to extinguish the fire before they could get in and try to help the passengers. What a nightmare.

[Vince]

I read that aswell Pete.Sad news.
I know that area quite well, Calabasas is just north of Santa Monica.

[WCpete]

I don’t get why helicopters crash in fog. Just take off and go straight upward til you clear the ceiling. Pacific coat fog is almost always ground based and no more than a couple hundred feet thick (guessing here). Plus this pilot probably was familiar with the terrain there. Just go straight up FFS.

[James P]

Never followed NBA beyond the headlines but obviously knew of Kobe Bryant. Very sad to hear.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

Ooh, that's bad.

As a lapsed PPL, I've never really trusted helicopters or their jockeys.

[James P]

Now being reported his 13 year old daughter was killed in the crash too. Terrible.

[Vince]

It was mentioned on CNN that the helicopter may have run into trouble in L.A. and the pilot was trying to avert even a bigger disaster.
Not confirmed.

Also look's like he was on his way to coach a girl's basketball team of which his daughter was one of the players.

[Gormalysis]

RIP a true legend of the sport

[S-H]

Now being reported his 13 year old daughter was killed in the crash too. Terrible.

Oh no.. that's just horrible.

[WCpete]

Now being reported his 13 year old daughter was killed in the crash too. Terrible.

Oh man. I hope this isn't true. I'm going to stop speculating until there is an official report. So damned sad.

[GaryP]

Its true sadly. Watching an ESPN stream of Pro Bowl and they spent the whole of half time talking about it. He and his daughter died along with another parent and child from team as well as the pilot. They were on their way to a coaching session.

[smuts]

Just awful. RIP to all who died.

[WCpete]

Apparently 9 people have died. Police just held a press conference.

[bitter-iron-ny]