Seven killed in helicopter crash during Kenya safari flight

The Big Picture

Seven people were killed when a helicopter crashed during a flight in Kenya’s northern Samburu County on Wednesday, authorities said. The dead included Ecuador’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, his wife Stephany Hollihan, and NBCUniversal journalist and Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter went down at about 9:13 a.m. local time while traveling from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area. All six passengers and the pilot died.

What Happened

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was operating a charter flight when it crashed in a rugged, wooded area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, according to Kenyan aviation officials and reports cited by multiple news organizations. Lady Lori Helicopters operated the aircraft.

The authority said an investigation was under way. Kenya’s transport ministry and the Air Accident Investigations Department were to lead inquiries into the circumstances of the crash, according to the BBC.

Local police commander David Nkoroi said late Wednesday that everyone aboard had died. The crash site’s remote terrain complicated the emergency response. Tropic Air Kenya said it sent two helicopters to support search-and-rescue operations, while the Kenya Red Cross said its emergency teams were participating in a multiagency response.

Al Jazeera, citing Kenya’s Daily Nation, reported that three bodies remained trapped in the wreckage on Wednesday evening and that recovery work was expected to continue because flames were still burning at the site.

Who Was Killed

Ecuadorian authorities confirmed that Sensi-Contugi, who had led the country’s National Intelligence Center since 2024, died in the crash. His wife, Stephany Hollihan, was also killed. Ecuador’s presidency expressed condolences to the couple’s family, loved ones and close associates.

The U.S. State Department said five U.S. citizens were among those killed. “The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” a department spokesperson said, offering condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones.

NBCUniversal identified Suárez as one of the victims. The BBC reported that an internal NBCUniversal memo described him as a respected leader, colleague and mentor. The Guardian and Al Jazeera described him as a Telemundo executive; Al Jazeera reported that he was president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Fort Myers-Naples.

The other U.S. victims had not been publicly identified in the BBC’s reporting. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department told the BBC that nationalities had not yet been confirmed, though the U.S. State Department and Ecuadorian authorities separately confirmed the deaths of U.S. and Ecuadorian nationals or dual-national individuals.

Background

Samburu County is a major safari destination known for private wildlife conservancies and dramatic landscapes. The helicopter was carrying guests associated with travel company &Beyond, according to the Guardian and Al Jazeera.

Kenya relies on domestic aviation operators to connect visitors with remote tourism destinations, and helicopter crashes have occurred in the country in recent years. In February, six people, including a legislator, died in a helicopter crash in western Kenya, according to the Guardian and Al Jazeera.

What Happens Next

Investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the aircraft’s operation and the conditions at the site. Lady Lori Helicopters said it was deeply saddened by the accident and extended sympathies to the guests, crew, families and others affected.

Authorities had not publicly released a full list of victims or a cause of the crash as of Wednesday evening.