Authorities have released the identities of the seven people killed in Wednesday’s helicopter crash at Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County as recovery operations and investigations into the tragedy continue.
The victims were identified as pilot Josh Outram and passengers Roger Duarte, Adam Navaty, Stephen Vasconquez, Henry Parra, Michael Contugi and Suian Suarez.
Outram, a fourth-generation Kenyan, had more than 15 years of flying experience and had built much of his career around aviation in northern Kenya.
He worked in both conservation and commercial aviation, operating in some of the country’s remote regions.
Among the passengers was Michele Sensi-Contugi, whose name was listed as Michael Contugi in flight information.
Sensi-Contugi was the Director General of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Centre, known as CIES, and was a prominent businessman and government official in the South American country. International reports also identified him as a former Ecuadorian government minister.
All seven people on board died after the helicopter went down at Mount Ololokwe on Wednesday. Reports said the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4 registered as 5Y-GYM.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the Air Accident Investigation Department under the Ministry of Roads and Transport is leading investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.
“KCAA is coordinating with the relevant agencies and stakeholders in response to the accident,” the authority said.
Recovery teams have continued working at the remote crash site as investigators seek to determine what caused the helicopter to go down.
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