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  • Mortal.The helicopter in which Kobe Bryant died was not authorized to fly with poor visibility

Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa, sued the operators of the helicopter that crashed on January 26, killing the NBA icon, her 13-year-old daughter and seven other people.

The appeal was introduced in the Superior Court of Los Angeles the same day that public tribute was paid to the Lakers legend, the young Gianna and the rest of the victims at the Staple Center.

The lawsuit involves Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp. and the pilot's estate, Ara Zobayan, who stood out among the victims.

The investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident is still under development, although a preliminary report ruled out some mechanical failure.

The lawsuit blames the company for allowing a flight amid "thick fog and low clouds" that Sunday morning, when even the police and tourism companies decided to stay on land.

"The operating certificate of the Federal Island Express Helicopter Aviation Administration limited its pilots to flying only under visual flight rules," the lawsuit said.

"The helicopter in question was neither licensed nor certified to fly in instrumental conditions" and "the pilot in command, Ara George Zobayan, was obliged to fly only in conditions of visual navigation."

"Zobayan tried to maneuver the helicopter up and forward to get out of the clouds, and then made a turn that sent the helicopter to steep terrain at approximately 180 miles per hour" (290 km / h), the text adds.

The lawsuit highlights that the US civil aviation authority (FAA) cited Zobayan in 2015 for ignoring the minimum rules for "flying in a vision space reduced by environmental conditions."

Island Express has not yet been pronounced.

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