Kobe Bryant helicopter firm was not allowed to fly in fog
Island Express referred a request for comment to the NTSB."The shock of the accident affected all staff, and management decided that service would be suspended until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers," it said in a statement.The aircraft - a Sikorsky S-76B - went down into a hillside outside the city of Calabasas on Sunday morning.
Conditions were foggy when the flight took off, and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather. The pilot asked air traffic controllers for a special clearance, known as Special Visual Flight Rules, to fly in less than optimal weather, said NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy, who went to the crash scene to collect evidence.
The helicopter, she added, circled in the air for 12 minutes before being given the clearance. The pilot then asked controllers for"flight following", an assistance given to helicopters to avoid collisions, but was told the craft was too low to be picked up by radar. Minutes later, the pilot said he was"climbing to avoid a cloud layer", she added. The helicopter climbed and began a left descending turn, according to radar data, before communication was lost"consistent with the accident location".
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