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Plane CrashesVersion 12

Helicopter crash in Kenya kills 7, officials say; cause under investigation

A tourist helicopter crashed in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe on Aug. 19, killing seven people, according to officials and multiple reports.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 19, 2026, 2:27 p.m. ETUpdated Sep 5, 2026, 9:22 a.m. ET
A crash in on Wednesday, Aug. 19, killed people, according to the Los Angeles Times and other outlets, though AOL reported killed. The U.S. State Department said five of the dead were U.S. citizens, according to multiple outlets. The was a , reported by the Winnipeg Free Press and others, though some outlets described it only as a . It was carrying guests of travel company &Beyond on a charter flight from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed in the foothills of , according to the Winnipeg Free Press and other outlets. The pilot was identified as Josh Outram, founder of Africa Heli Adventures, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. The was operated by , reported by the Winnipeg Free Press and others, though some outlets named the operator as . The Red Cross said its emergency response teams were participating in a multiagency response, and Tropic Air dispatched two helicopters to assist with search and rescue, according to the outlets. The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
5,732 ft
Nearest aerodrome
6.6 miles SSE of Kisima Airport (HKMI)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 125 Sept 2026, 13:22current

    Updated to reflect the latest reporting on the crash date and investigation status.

  2. Version 114 Sept 2026, 23:25

    Updated to reflect conflicting fatality figures and operator names.

  3. Version 101 Sept 2026, 17:27

    Updated to reflect the latest reporting on the crash, including the identification of the pilot and operator, and the ongoing investigation.

  4. Version 924 Aug 2026, 13:52

    Updated to reflect the latest reporting on the crash date and investigation status.

  5. Version 821 Aug 2026, 22:22

    Updated to include the latest reporting on the crash, including the identification of the pilot and the operator, and the ongoing investigation.

  6. Version 721 Aug 2026, 20:52

    Removed the flagged wral.com URL from sources_cited. No other changes.

  7. Version 621 Aug 2026, 15:22

    Updated to reflect the latest reporting on the crash, including the number of fatalities and the investigation status.

  8. Version 521 Aug 2026, 02:09

    Updated to reflect the latest reporting on the crash date and investigation status.

  9. Version 421 Aug 2026, 01:55

    Helicopter Crash in Kenya Kills 7, Including 5 Americans

  10. Version 320 Aug 2026, 22:52

    Added aircraft type attribution and noted the investigation is ongoing.

  11. Version 220 Aug 2026, 22:31

    Updated to include the Boston Herald as a source and added the aircraft type and operator details.

  12. Version 120 Aug 2026, 21:39

    First published.

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