The helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe Bryant and 8 others was reportedly not certified to fly in poor visibility

• The helicopter that was flying Kobe Bryant and eight other people before it fatally crashed on Sunday was not certified to fly in poor visibility conditions, according to the New York Times.
• Island Express Helicopters, which owned the Sikorsky S-76B aircraft, was only certified to fly under visual flight rules, which means that weather conditions that are clear enough for a pilot to stay oriented and navigate by visual cues and sometimes other instruments.
• Audio communications posted on YouTube by the channel VASAviation indicate that the pilot was given special clearance, known as special visual flight rules, to fly in foggy conditions in the minutes before the crash.
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The helicopter that was flying Kobe Bryant and eight other people before it fatally crashed on Sunday was reportedly not certified to fly in poor visibility conditions.

Three sources familiar with the helicopter company's operations told The New York Times that Island Express Helicopters, which owned the Sikorsky S-76B aircraft, had an operating certification from the Federal Aviation Administration limiting flight to flying under visual flight rules. These are regulations that dictate a pilot must operate an aircraft in weather conditions that are clear enough for a pilot to stay oriented and navigate by visual cues, sometimes used alongside special instruments.

The company was also not certified for its pilots to fly with instruments, Kurt Deetz, a former safety manager at Island Express Helicopters, told The Times.

But according to The Times, the pilot himself, Ara Zobayan, was certified to fly with instruments, but he was limited by the company's visual flight rules.

Audio communications posted on YouTube by the channel VASAviation indicate that Zobayan was given special clearance, known as special visual flight rules, to fly in foggy conditions in the minutes before the crash.

Business Insider could not immediately reach Island Express Helicopters for comment about the Times Report.

On Monday, Island Express Helicopters released a statement about the accident:

"One of our helicopters, N72EX, Sikorsky S76, was involved in an accident on Sunday, January 26th in the Calabasas area of LA County.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our top priority is providing assistance to the families of the passengers and the pilot. We hope that you will respect their privacy at this extremely difficult time.

"The pilot, Ara Zobayan, was our chief pilot. Ara has been with the company for over 10 years and has over 8,000 flight hours.

"We are working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the cause of the accident and we are grateful to the first responders and local authorities for their response to this unimaginable accident."

This is a developing story.