Investigators probing the Mt Ololokwe helicopter crash in Samburu County are retracing the final movements of the seven people killed, including Ecuador’s intelligence chief, as they piece together what happened before the fatal flight.
Kenya Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) Chief Investigator Fred Kabunge said investigators were revisiting hotels where the pilot and passengers stayed to establish their movements, activities and rest periods before the flight.
They are also examining the aircraft’s refuelling stations and operational history, alongside wreckage and recovered components.
“The wreckage and recovered aircraft components are undergoing examination and documentation, alongside a review of maintenance and operational records, flight and communication information, witness accounts and other evidence,” Mr Kabunge said.
Investigators are also analysing Kenya Meteorological Service data to establish weather conditions before and during the accident and assess their possible relevance.
A view of Mount Ololokwe from Kalama Community Conservancy.
Photo credit: Pool
Mr Kabunge said a preliminary report containing factual information established so far and an account of progress will be ready in two weeks. “However, the report will not constitute a final determination of the cause of the accident,” he said.
The AAID has obtained and consolidated aircraft, operational, maintenance, certification and personnel records from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, including the pilot’s licence, qualifications, ratings, training, competency and medical certification.
The records are being independently corroborated against physical, technical, operational and human-factors evidence, Mr Kabunge said.
The probe also involves accredited representatives from France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and Ecuador’s Junta Investigadora de Accidentes, in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements.
Mr Kabunge said the international experts would help examine and interpret evidence, assess technical findings and determine whether further specialist examinations are needed.
The experts will provide technical input during examination and analysis of evidence made available to investigators, while findings are independently assessed.
He cautioned against speculation about the cause of the crash or attempts to assign responsibility before the investigation is complete.
The site where a helicopter ferrying tourists crashed at Mt Ololokwe in Samburu East on August 19, 2026. Seven people died.
Photo credit: David Muchui | Nation
“The investigation is not conducted for the purpose of apportioning blame, fault or liability,” Mr Kabunge said.
The crash, which occurred at Mt Ololokwe two weeks ago, killed five Americans, a Kenyan and an Ecuadorian.
The dead included Kenyan pilot and African Heli Adventures director Josh Outram; Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, Stephany Hollihan Yeaza, who held Ecuadorian and American citizenship.
Also killed were journalist José Alberto Suárez, president and general manager of Spanish TV stations Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Ft. Myers–Naples; Roger Duarte, founder of George Stone Crab; Adam Hlavaty, co-founder of Mrkt Group; and aviation software executive Henry Parra of Miami.
