Kobe Bryant Killed in Helicopter Crash??

[madducks]

The hilly terrain surrounding the crash site:

[madducks]

The 9 victims:

[madducks]

Organizers are considering holding Kobe Bryant's public memorial at the 80,000 seat L.A. Coliseum because the 20,000 seat Staples Center may not be big enough.

[madducks]

Some more interesting details:

The helicopter did not have a terrain awareness and warning system -- a safety feature which provides the pilot with information about the terrain, the NTSB's Jennifer Homendy said.
The NTSB recommended that similar helicopters be equipped with the system after a fatal Texas crash in 2004 that killed 10 people. The Federal Aviation Administration failed to implement the recommendation, Homendy said.

Before the crash, air traffic control approved pilot Ara Zobayan's request to fly with SVFR clearance -- special visual flight rules clearance -- which allows pilots to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for regular visual flight rules.
And while she said that clearance is very common and nothing out of the ordinary, Homendy said investigators will look into whether Zobayan should have been granted that special permission.

[madducks]

Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa has filed a lawsuit against the company that employed the pilot and owned the helicopter.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/24/us/ko...ers/index.html

The complaint obtained by CNN claims, in part, that Zobayan:
• "Failed to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff;"
• "Failed to abort the flight when he knew of the cloudy conditions;"
• And "failed to properly and safely operate the helicopter resulting in a crash."
"Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable for any and all actions of Ara George Zobayan, including his negligent and careless piloting and operation of the subject helicopter, by reason of its principal and agent relationship with Ara George Zobayan," the lawsuit says.
The suit says Vanessa Bryant is seeking general, economic and punitive damages. No financial figures were expressed in the suit.

The lawsuit also says Zobayan improperly flew the helicopter into conditions that should have required instrument flight rules (IFR) -- something the helicopter was not licensed or certified for, according to the suit.

[Sour Masher]

Clearly this is about frustration and wanting accountability. This is good evidence that when grieving family file lawsuits it isn't just or mainly about money in many cases (though in some cases, medical bills force the issue). She doesn't need the money at all, but she is angry that this crash happened and wants to make someone pay and make others think in the future.