Editor's Review
The County Government of Kericho has issued an update following a helicopter accident at Kericho Golf Club, confirming that all five occupants survived and were receiving treatment.
The County Government of Kericho has issued an update following a helicopter accident at Kericho Golf Club, confirming that all five occupants survived and were receiving treatment.
In a statement on Monday, October 12, the county government said it was informed of the accident in the afternoon and immediately deployed emergency response teams to the scene to assist those affected.
"We immediately dispatched ambulances and fire engines to the scene to assist the affected occupants and remain on standby to respond to any eventualities," the statement read.
The county government subsequently confirmed that all five occupants had been accounted for and were receiving medical attention for shock and minor injuries.
"We are relieved to confirm that all the 5 occupants have been accounted for and are receiving treatment at various hospitals within Kericho town for shock and minor injuries," the statement added.
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This comes weeks after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) released a preliminary report detailing the sequence of events behind the August 19 helicopter crash on Mount Ololokwe, Samburu County, that killed all seven people on board.
In its preliminary report released on Friday, September 18, AAID said the probe was still ongoing, with the investigators yet to establish the probable cause of the crash.
The Airbus EC130 B4 helicopter, registration 5Y-GYM and operated by Lady Lori (Kenya) Limited, struck a protruding rock formation near the summit of Mount Ololokwe while maneuvering at a low level during a scenic flight, according to the report.
The impact sheared off the landing-gear assembly, after which the fuselage slid down the mountainside and over a cliff, coming to rest roughly 1,196 feet from the point of impact.
Weather conditions at the time were recorded by the Kenya Meteorological Department as east-southeasterly winds at 120 degrees with surface speeds above 3.9 knots, visibility of 10 kilometres or greater, and a low-level cloud layer at approximately 2,400 feet above ground level.
The report noted that atmospheric data showed positive relative vorticity exceeding a threshold associated with a well-defined low-pressure system or active frontal boundary, though no METAR station data was available for the mountain itself.
Investigators documented two separate wreckage sites: one on the steep slope measuring roughly 25 by 50 metres, marking the initial point of impact, and a second at the base of the cliff measuring approximately 25 by 15 metres, where the main wreckage came to rest.
A landing gear skid, a door gas strut, and the helicopter's left cargo door were recovered at varying distances from the point of impact, with paint transfers on nearby rocks indicating the fuselage had struck the terrain while sliding down the slope.
"The remaining wreckage fell down the cliff and was destroyed by impact forces and the ensuing fire," the report stated, adding that the main rotor blades remained attached to the mast despite being broken, while the tail rotor and boom were the only sections recovered largely intact.
