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  • Sikorsky S-76B.The helicopter in which Kobe Bryant was traveling costs 13 million and is used by the Spanish Army and the Queen of England

The charter company whose helicopter crashed and killed basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven other people last Sunday was not authorized to fly with the adverse weather conditions that occurred on the fateful day.

Island Express Helicopters , owner of the crashed Sikorsky S-76B, was only authorized to operate with visibility, which means that pilots must be able to see clearly outside the plane in daylight, Kurt Deetz , pilot and former manager revealed company security, to the New York Times .

The helicopter pilot, Ara Zobayan , did have a license to fly in low visibility conditions, but he probably had little experience due to the company's operational limitations, Deetz told Forbes .

Air traffic controllers had authorized Zobayan to fly with adverse weather around the Burbank airport. The pilot had reported that visibility was sufficient for the flight, reports the Times, adding that the weather was getting worse during the flight.

For its part, Island Express Helicopters has reported that it is suspending all services. "The shock of the accident has affected all staff, and management has decided that the service would be suspended until such time as it is deemed appropriate for the staff and customers," the charter company said in a statement.

The death of Bryant, 41, 18-time NBA star and one of the most admired athletes in the world, has left the shock to the international sports community.

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