Last glimpse: Photo of ill-fated chopper before Samburu crash emerges online
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- A photo has emerged showing the Eurocopter EC130 B4 standing intact in an arid landscape before it went down
- The helicopter, registered 5Y-GYM, crashed at Lolokwe Mountain in Samburu County during a flight between two lodges
- At the time of the photo, no one knew the chopper would become one of the country's most talked-about aviation tragedies in recent memory
A photo circulating on Facebook has offered a haunting glimpse of the helicopter that crashed at Lolokwe Mountain in Samburu County on August 19, killing all seven people on board, captured in the days before the fatal flight.
In the now-viral photo, a man dressed in colourful traditional Maasai attire is standing beside the red, silver and green Eurocopter EC130 B4, its registration number 5Y-GYM clearly visible on the fuselage.
The backdrop is a dry, open stretch of land characteristic of northern Kenya. The aircraft looks pristine, its blades still, with no sign of what lay ahead.
The image drew significant attention online precisely because it captures the aircraft in a moment of absolute normalcy: grounded, intact and surrounded by the everyday landscape.
At the time of the photo, no one knew the chopper would become the centre of one of the country's most talked-about aviation tragedies in recent memory.
The helicopter went down at approximately 9.13 am while operating a charter flight from Loisaba to Ewasonyiro.
Crash at Lolokwe Mountain
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed the accident in an official statement issued through its Corporate Communication Department, marking the first formal acknowledgement that no one aboard survived.
The impact was followed by a fire that gutted the aircraft, leaving scorched earth, blackened rocks and burnt wreckage scattered across the rugged, forested terrain surrounding the flat-topped peak also known as Ol Lolokwe.
Recovery teams faced considerable difficulty navigating the site, with local morans, Kenya Red Cross personnel and other first responders all involved in the operation.
7 Victims Named
A police report confirmed that the seven people who lost their lives were pilot Josh Outran, and passengers Roger Duarte, Adam Navaty, Stephen Vascanknez, Henry Parra, Michael Contugi and Suian Suarez.
Authorities had not yet established their nationalities at the time of reporting.
KCAA extended its condolences to the families of the victims and confirmed that the Ministry of Roads and Transport's Air Accident Investigation Department had taken charge of establishing the cause of the crash.
The authority said it was actively coordinating with all relevant agencies throughout the investigation.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.