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Investigators have revealed new details about the helicopter crash that killed seven people near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County.
According to a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID), the helicopter struck a rock near the summit of the mountain shortly before crashing down the steep slope.
The accident happened on August 19, 2026, at around 9:13am. The Airbus EC130 B4, operated by Lady Lori (Kenya) Ltd, had been carrying a pilot and six passengers.
The report indicates that the helicopter was flying at low level along the mountain’s cliff face during a sightseeing and photography trip. It later climbed above the ridgeline before making a 180-degree turn down the slope.
During the manoeuvre, one of the helicopter’s landing skids hit a rock formation near the summit. The impact damaged the landing gear and affected the aircraft’s stability.
The helicopter then rolled down the steep mountainside before going over a cliff.
Those on board included pilot Josh Outram and six passengers, among them former Ecuadorian intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi, his wife Stephany Holihan, Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez and Miami-based entrepreneurs Roger Duarte, Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra.
The passengers had travelled to the mountain, where they were scheduled to have breakfast at the summit.
The AAID investigation is continuing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.