A safari helicopter has crashed in a remote district of northern Kenya, killing all seven people on board, including five American citizens and the director of Ecuador’s national intelligence service, local police and the U.S. State Department have confirmed. The fatal aviation accident occurred on Wednesday morning in Samburu County.
The charter aircraft was carrying six passengers and one pilot when it went down at about 9:13 a.m. Officials at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy—a wildlife reserve and safari destination in northern Kenya—toward the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County when the incident occurred.
David Nkoroi, the police commander for Samburu, stated late on Wednesday that emergency responders had confirmed all seven individuals aboard the aircraft had died. Aviation regulators confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.
Ecuador’s government confirmed later on Wednesday that Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of the country’s National Intelligence Center, died in the crash. Sensi-Contugi, a close associate and personal friend of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, was visiting Kenya as a tourist alongside his wife, Stephany Hollihan, who was also killed.
Hollihan held dual citizenship in both the United States and Ecuador. A preliminary police report from the Archers Post police station listed both Sensi-Contugi and Hollihan as tourists. The couple is survived by their two children.
In a statement posted on X, the presidency of Ecuador expressed grief over the loss: "In this moment of deep sorrow, the government extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and close associates."
The U.S. State Department confirmed that five of those killed in the aviation accident were American citizens.
A spokesperson for the department said American diplomatic personnel were in contact with officials in Kenya: "The U.S. Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance," adding, "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss."
Although authorities have not formally revealed the identities of all seven victims, a local television news station in Miami, Florida, reported that 55-year-old José Suárez was among those killed.
Suárez served as president and general manager of several Telemundo television stations in Florida for the U.S.-based Spanish-language network, owned by NBCUniversal.
An NBC affiliate station in Miami quoted a joint statement issued by leadership at NBCUniversal and Telemundo mourning the executive: "We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that José was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya."
Civil aviation authorities identified the downed aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4. The helicopter was owned by local aviation company Lady Lori Helicopters and was carrying guests traveling with the luxury tour agency &Beyond.
Lady Lori Helicopters confirmed in an official statement that the aircraft was operating a private charter flight at the time of the crash.
Local media outlets reported that the aircraft crashed in a rugged and hilly area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in the country. Representatives for luxury tour agency &Beyond noted that the underlying cause of the fatal crash remains to be determined.
Search and recovery efforts at the scene encountered severe difficulties. According to the Kenya Red Cross, recovery operations were being significantly hampered by the challenging, rugged terrain of the mountain foothills as well as an active fire that broke out at the crash site.
After the crash, regional safari operator Tropic Air Kenya said it dispatched two helicopters to the area to help local authorities and emergency teams with search and rescue operations.
Helicopter crashes have occurred with increasing frequency in Kenya, where a vibrant tourism sector relies heavily on domestic aviation carriers to fly international visitors to remote locations such as Mount Ololokwe.
The disaster follows another fatal crash earlier this year. In February, a legislator was among six people who died when a helicopter crashed in a hilly area of western Kenya.
