Helicopter crash in northern Kenya kills Ecuador intelligence chief, Telemundo executive, and five others
A chartered Eurocopter EC130 B4 carrying safari tourists crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County on 19 August 2026, leaving no survivors among the seven occupants on board.
Flight and crash in Samburu County
A chartered safari helicopter crashed in northern Kenya on the morning of 19 August 2026, killing all seven people on board. The Eurocopter EC130 B4, operated by Lady Lori Helicopters for luxury travel company &Beyond, went down at 09:13 local time in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County. The aircraft had departed from the Loisaba Conservancy and was travelling toward the Ewaso Nyiro River area, a destination known for wildlife conservancies and safari camps. Fredrick Kabunge, director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department, confirmed that the flight carried six passengers and one pilot.
There were seven people on board the helicopter, one pilot and six passengers.
- Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashes in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe during a charter flight.
- Tropic Air Kenya deploys two helicopters while the Kenya Red Cross reports active site fires.
- Samburu police commander David Nkoroi and aviation officials confirm all seven occupants died.
Casualties and international response
Authorities confirmed that the victims included five United States citizens, an Ecuadorian intelligence official, his wife, and a Kenyan pilot. Among the dead was Michele Sensi-Contugi, head of Ecuador's National Intelligence Center and an associate of President Daniel Noboa. Sensi-Contugi, a 42-year-old businessman holding dual Ecuadorian and Italian citizenship, had led the intelligence agency since his appointment in 2024. His wife, Stephany, died alongside him on the chartered flight. Ecuadorian Transport Minister Roberto Luque paid tribute to the couple on social media.
Today Michele and Stephany left us too soon. Thinking of their family, especially their children and parents.
The American victims included José Suárez, 55, president and general manager of several Telemundo television stations in Florida. Diplomatic missions from the United States and Italy contacted Kenyan authorities to coordinate consular assistance.
Search efforts and mountain terrain
Search and recovery teams encountered significant physical obstacles at the crash site. Mount Ololokwe, a sacred mountain for the Samburu people rising 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level, is characterized by sheer cliffs and arid foothills. The Kenya Red Cross reported that an active fire at the wreckage and rugged topography hindered access for emergency personnel. Regional safari operator Tropic Air Kenya dispatched two helicopters to assist government teams in locating the crash site. Helicopter transfers are widely used by luxury tourism operators in Kenya to transport clients between remote lodges and summit viewpoints.
Regulatory investigations
Samburu County police commander David Nkoroi confirmed late on Wednesday that recovery personnel found no survivors. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Transport opened formal inquiries into the cause of the crash. Investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department have begun examining flight data and physical components from the Eurocopter EC130 B4. The crash follows a separate aviation accident in western Kenya earlier in 2026 that killed six people, including a member of parliament. Authorities have not yet released preliminary findings on technical faults or environmental factors.
