Ecuador intelligence chief, wife, American tourists killed in Kenya helicopter crash

Ecuador’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, his wife and five American tourists have been killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya.

The development was reported by the BBC, citing Kenyan authorities, the US State Department and other sources.

The seven victims died when the helicopter crashed in Samburu County on Wednesday morning while on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to the Ewaso Nyiro River.

The crash occurred on Mount Ololokwe, a prominent landmark in the region, with the cause of the accident yet to be established.

What the report is saying

Sensi-Contugi, 44, was director general of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Center, a position he had held since 2024. His wife, Stephany Hollihan, was also among those killed, while the other five victims were American nationals, according to a US State Department spokesperson.

• “Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan were among the seven people killed when the accident happened in Samburu county at approximately 09:13 (06:13 GMT) on Wednesday.”
• “The other five victims were Americans, a US State Department spokesperson said,” the BBC report read.

The victims included NBCUniversal journalist José Alberto Suárez and Miami restaurateur Roger Duarte.

The identities of the remaining three American victims had not been released at the time of the report.

Earlier reports had described the victims as six tourists and a pilot, but further information identified Sensi-Contugi and his wife among those on board.

What happened

The crash occurred in Samburu County at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter was flying from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro River, which runs along several national reserves.

• The aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4 operated by Lady Lori Helicopters.
• The helicopter crashed on Mount Ololokwe, a prominent landmark in the region.
• Images from the scene showed smoke rising from the wooded crash site as members of the Kenya Red Cross approached the wreckage.

The cause of the crash had not been established at the time of the report.

Lady Lori Helicopters expressed sadness over the accident and extended its condolences to the victims, their families and others affected by the crash.

More details

Ecuadorian authorities have not provided details about why Sensi-Contugi was in Kenya or the circumstances surrounding his trip. However, the Ecuadorian president’s office issued tributes following his death, while former President Guillermo Lasso also confirmed his death.

• The death of Suárez was confirmed in a memo seen by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.
• NBCUniversal described Suárez as a respected leader, friend and colleague.
• US Representative Carlos Antonio Gimenez also paid tribute to Duarte following reports of his death.
• Lady Lori Helicopters expressed condolences to the victims, their families and others affected by the crash.

The crash has drawn attention to Kenya’s history of fatal helicopter accidents involving civilians and military personnel.

Get up to speed

The latest incident adds to a history of fatal helicopter crashes in Kenya. In February, a helicopter crash in Nandi County killed six people, including a member of parliament.

• In 2024, Kenya’s military chief, Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, was killed when an army helicopter carrying 11 people crashed in the western part of the country.
• Only two people survived the 2024 military helicopter crash.

In June 2021, at least 10 soldiers were killed when a military helicopter crashed while landing near Nairobi.

What you should know

Nigeria has also recorded fatal helicopter crashes in recent years, including incidents involving offshore operations, military missions and prominent Nigerian business figures. These include a 2024 offshore crash that killed eight people and the helicopter accident that killed former Access Holdings Group CEO Herbert Wigwe in California.

• In October 2024, an East Wind Aviation Sikorsky SK76 helicopter carrying six passengers and two crew members crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima in Rivers State, killing all eight people on board.
• The helicopter was travelling from Port Harcourt to the NUIM ANTAN oil facility when it went down, while NIMASA later said a joint recovery operation recovered the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder and more than 80% of the wreckage.
• In February 2024, Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, their son Chizi and former Nigerian Exchange Group chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo were among six people killed when a helicopter crashed in California, United States.

In August 2023, a Nigerian Air Force MI-171 helicopter crashed in Niger State during a casualty evacuation mission, with the cause of the crash subsequently investigated by the Air Force.