Kenyan MD500 crash kills two

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Both crew aboard a Kenyan Army MD500MD Defender helicopter succumbed to their injuries sustained after crashing while attempting to land earlier this week.

The aircraft was attempting to land at the Bar’goni military camp in Lamu County on 6 July when it experienced technical problems, according to Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Colonel David Obonyo. He said that the pilots were rescued but sustained critical injuries and succumbed the following day.

The aircraft was one of two returning from a routine patrol when it lost power, crashed and caught fire. The helicopter was from the Army’s 50th Air Cavalry Battalion. The Kenyan Defence Forces received 40 MD500s between 1980 and 1985, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, along with 2 100 TOW anti-tank missiles.