The company of the Sikorsky S-76B carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others last Sunday, Jan. 26, did not have the needed federal certification to fly in bad weather, according to news reports.
While the pilot, Ara Zobayan, 50, is an experienced pilot with the proper certification to fly by instrument flight rules (IFR), the company that owned the chopper, Island Express Helicopters, had certification that only allowed its pilots to fly using visual flight rules (VFR), which limits a pilot, regardless of certification, to fly only when there is a ground visual and with at least a half-mile of daytime visibility, news outlets said.
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It is not unusual for aircraft companies in the area to have these types of limitations because the weather is usually clear.
Authorities have also taken note that the helicopter did not have a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) that will alert a pilot when the aircraft approaches too close to the ground. The system is not a requirement.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the cause. The first report showing some preliminary findings should be issued within 10 days but a full report might take as many as 18 months to complete.
Island Express Helicopters has suspended flights in the wake of the crash.
The helicopter crashed in the steep terrain above Calabasas and burst into flames killing all nine passengers on board. The group, which included two of Bryant’s daughter’s basketball teammates, was headed to the teens’ basketball game.