The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people that crashed into the mountainside in Calabasas, Calif. on Sunday did not have the necessary federal certification to fly, according The New York Times.
While the flight's pilot, Ara Zoboyan, was certified to fly using instruments, Island Express Helicopters, which owned the Sikorsky S-76B that crashed, did not have the necessary certification, according to The Times. Because of the company's certification limitations, Zoboyan was required to fly only in conditions of "sufficient visibility" to navigate visually.
According to CNN, Island Express Helicopters is "suspending all flight service for operation reasons," but declined to provide any other details regarding the suspension.