Helicopter in Kobe Bryant crash not certified to fly in fog
- Pilots for Island Express Helicopters limited to operating only when they could see clearly outside aircraft in daylight, US officials say
- Company has suspended all services after fatal crash that killed NBA star, his daughter and seven others
The company whose helicopter crashed and killed basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others on Sunday was not certified to fly in foggy conditions requiring pilots to use only cockpit instruments, US officials said on Friday.
Island Express Helicopters, which owned the Sikorsky S-76B that crashed, was limited to operating under visual flight rules, meaning pilots must be able to see clearly outside the aircraft in daylight, said Keith Holloway, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman.
“The preliminary information is Island Express’s 135 certificate did not allow for IFR flight,” Holloway said. “No other specifics are available at this time.”
The aircraft was equipped for instrument flying, however, multiple media reports said.
“There is only one way you can be in the clouds, on an IFR flight plan or by accident,” Kurt Deetz, a pilot and former safety manager with the company, told The New York Times, referring to instrument flight rules.
Holloway told Reuters on Friday that it was unknown if the pilot was in fact flying on instruments at the time of the wreck. He said a preliminary report on the crash, expected in about 10 days, may include such a determination.