Seven people died when an EC130 helicopter crash in Kenya brought down a tourist charter flight over the remote highlands of Samburu County on 19 August 2026, killing five US citizens, a Kenyan pilot and a sixth passenger in one of the deadliest aviation accidents on the country’s safari circuit in recent memory.
The Eurocopter EC130 B4, registered 5Y-GYM and operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, went down near Kirish, close to Mount Ololokwe, at approximately 09:13 local time. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the aircraft was flying from Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed. Six passengers and one pilot were on board; there were no survivors.
Passengers and crew confirmed dead in EC130 helicopter crash Kenya
Luxury safari operator &Beyond confirmed its guests were on board. ‘We can confirm that on the morning of August 19, an aircraft registered as 5Y-GYM, carrying &Beyond guests, crashed near Kirish, close to Mt. Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya,’ the company said in a statement.
Among those killed were Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center, and his wife Stephany Hollihan Vasconez, a dual US-Ecuadorian citizen. BBC News reported that Sensi-Contugi was 44 years old and Hollihan Vasconez was 42. Also killed was José Alberto Suárez, a senior Telemundo executive based in Florida.
The pilot was identified as Josh Outram, according to ABC News, which reported he was Kenyan. Lady Lori Helicopters confirmed the aircraft registration and expressed condolences. ‘Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident,’ the operator said.
The US State Department confirmed five of those killed held American citizenship. ‘We can confirm the deaths of five US citizens in a helicopter crash in Samburu County, Kenya,’ a State Department spokesperson said. ‘The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance.’
Remote terrain hampered response to the Kenya safari flight crash
The mountainous terrain around Mount Ololokwe complicated the multiagency search and recovery effort. Kenya Red Cross joined the response at the crash site, where the rough, elevated landscape made reaching the wreckage difficult in the hours after the accident.
Lady Lori Helicopters described the flight as a charter from Suyian Conservancy to Ololokwe, a route that crosses some of the most rugged ground in Kenya’s northern safari corridor. Mount Ololokwe, also known as Ol Donyo Sabache, rises sharply above the Samburu region and draws visitors for its wildlife and hiking terrain. Loisaba Conservancy and the Ewaso Nyiro River form part of the same northern circuit regularly served by charter aviation.
Kenya’s Air Accident Investigation Department is leading the formal investigation into the EC130 helicopter crash in Kenya. The KCAA has not yet released any preliminary findings on the cause.
The EC130 B4 is a seven-seat, single-engine type developed by Eurocopter, now part of Airbus Helicopters. Its large cabin, low external noise footprint and unobstructed sightlines have made it a common choice for sightseeing and safari charter operations across east Africa. The aircraft’s widespread use in high-end tourism means the accident is likely to draw scrutiny from both regulators and tour operators that rely on rotary-wing transfers between conservancies and remote lodges.
The crash site sits in Samburu County, where conservancies such as Loisaba and the wider Ewaso Nyiro basin have become anchor destinations for Kenya’s premium wildlife tourism sector. Inter-camp helicopter transfers are routine in the region, bridging distances that would take hours by road across difficult terrain.
Kenya’s Air Accident Investigation Department has given no timeline for its inquiry, and the cause of the EC130 helicopter crash Kenya investigators are now examining remains unknown.
