Four American Tourists Killed in Mt Ololokwe Helicopter Crash Identified as Friends on Vacation
Four American tourists among seven killed in a helicopter crash near Mt Ololokwe were friends vacationing in Kenya, including a Kenyan pilot and an Ecuadorian couple.
By John Mtongoi Newsroom
August 22, 2026
2 min read
Seven people, including four American tourists and an Ecuadorian couple, died in a helicopter crash at Mt Ololokwe in Samburu County on Wednesday. The victims were traveling on a Eurocopter EC130B4 when it crashed en route from Suyian Conservancy to Mt Ololokwe.
The pilot, Josh Outram, was a fourth-generation Kenyan. The Americans on board were identified as friends vacationing together in Kenya. Among them were Roger Duarte, Adam Hlavaty, and Stephen Vascammez. The Ecuadorian couple, Michele Sensi-Contugi and Stephany Hollihan, were also killed.
Victims' Backgrounds
- Adam Hlavaty was a real estate executive and vice president of development at Benihana. He also served on the board of the Coral Gables Art Museum.
- Roger Duarte was an entrepreneur behind Hospitality Capital Partners and co-founder of several Miami-based restaurants. He is survived by his wife, Nicole Valls, and two sons.
- Stephen Vascammez was a software executive and co-founder of Trax USA, with a background in the US Army. He and Hlavaty were married in 2017.
- Michele Sensi-Contugi was the director of Ecuador's strategic intelligence center, CIES, and his wife, Stephany Hollihan, was a fashion designer and founder of Sensi Studio.
The group had arranged their trip through the travel company &Beyond. Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei confirmed the Ecuadorian couple was on a private visit to Kenya.
Investigation Underway
The Air Accident Investigations Department (AAID) is conducting inquiries into the crash. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, with a final report due in 12 months.
