NAIROBI, Kenya- Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and five American citizens were among seven people killed when a tourist helicopter crashed in Samburu County on Wednesday morning, August 19, 2026.
The helicopter, a Eurocopter EC130 B4 operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, crashed near Mount Ololokwe at about 9:13 am, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
KCAA said the helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river that flows along several national reserves.
It was travelling from the Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area when the accident occurred.
All seven people aboard, six passengers and the pilot, died in the crash, according to local authorities.
The five Americans were confirmed by the US State Department, which said its embassy in Kenya was providing consular assistance to the victims’ families.
Among the victims was José Alberto Suárez, a senior Telemundo executive, while Ecuador’s intelligence chief was travelling with his wife, Stephany Hollihan Vásconez, who was also killed.
Ecuadorian officials confirmed the deaths of Sensi-Contugi and his wife.
“The National Government expresses its most heartfelt condolences over the sensitive passing of Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan,” Ecuador’s presidential office said in a statement on X.
The aircraft had been carrying guests of luxury travel company &Beyond, which confirmed that one of its helicopters had crashed near Mount Ololokwe.
The cause of the accident had not been established, with aviation authorities beginning investigations into the crash.
Rescue and recovery operations were mounted at the remote crash site, with Kenya Red Cross teams and other emergency responders involved.
The difficult terrain and fire at the site complicated the recovery operation.
The crash has attracted international attention because of the national and business figures among the victims, while authorities continue investigations to establish what caused the helicopter to go down.
In February, a helicopter crash in the Rift Valley county of Nandi killed six people, including a member of parliament.
In 2024, the military chief, Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, died after an army helicopter that was carrying 11 people crashed in the west of the country, with only two survivors.
In June 2021, at least 10 soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed while landing near the capital, Nairobi.
