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Plane CrashesVersion 3

Seven killed in Kenya helicopter crash; Ecuador intelligence chief among dead

A tourist helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya, on August 19, 2026, killing all seven on board, including Ecuador's intelligence chief and five Americans.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 19, 2026, 9:29 a.m. ETUpdated Sep 1, 2026, 8:53 p.m. ET
A tourist helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in , , on August 19, 2026, killing all people on board, according to reports from yahoo.com, euronews.com, the-star.co.ke, and bbc.com. The crash occurred at , according to the-star.co.ke and euronews.com. Among the dead were Ecuador's intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, and his wife, Stephany Hollihan, the outlets reported. Five of the victims were Americans, a US State Department spokesperson said, including NBCUniversal journalist José Alberto Suárez and Miami restaurateur Roger Duarte. The helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river that flows along several national reserves, according to the-star.co.ke. The aircraft type has been reported as a by yahoo.com, euronews.com, and bbc.com, while the-star.co.ke described it as a . The operator was , according to yahoo.com and bbc.com. has said it is committed to concluding preliminary investigations into the circumstances of the accident, according to the-star.co.ke. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing, hampered by difficult terrain access and an active fire at the crash site, according to yahoo.com, euronews.com, and the-star.co.ke. is working to retrieve and repatriate the remains of the victims, the-star.co.ke reported.

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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 Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.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 32 Sept 2026, 00:53current

    Updated to reflect the latest reporting, including the confirmed date and time, and the ongoing investigation status.

  2. Version 231 Aug 2026, 01:25

    Added details on victims, operator, and investigation status; noted conflicting aircraft type reports.

  3. Version 122 Aug 2026, 14:21

    First published.

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