Kenya helicopter crash kills 4 Americans, VIP pilot
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four Americans were among five killed after their helicopter crashed in northern Kenya Sunday shortly after takeoff, officials said.
The country's National Police Service said in a series of posts on Twitter the crash happened at Central Island National Park in Lake Turkana around 8 p.m.
Two helicopters had landed for a visit at the Lobolo tented camp, but when the aircraft departed the area, one went down, according to Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A rescue team was dispatched immediately and arrived around 11:20 p.m. Officials located the wreckage after 3 a.m. with no survivors.
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The United States Embassy confirmed the deaths of the four Americans to the Associated Press and released the names of three of them: Anders Asher Jesiah Burke, Brandon Howe Stapper and Kyle John Forti.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The embassy referred further questions to Kenyan authorities, who said an investigation was under way to figure out the cause of the crash.
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Kenya's NTV identified the pilot as Mario Magonga, who previously served as a Kenya Defense Forces pilot and once worked for the country's deputy president.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Richard Onyonka, a relative of the late pilot, said Magonga had been cleared to fly several high profile guests in the past, including former President Obama, the BBC reported.
"[He] was one of the best helicopter pilots that money could buy," Onyonka told NTV.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The deadly helicopter crash came one month after two Americans were among five people killed in Kenya when their plane crashed as they were traveling to Lodwar near Lake Turkana
The Associated Press contributed to this report.