A Eurocopter AS350B3, shown above after receiving a campaign paint job, crashed during a flight from Dar es Salaam to the southwest of Tanzania, killing all four on board as it came down in the Selous Game Reserve enroute to the town of Ludewa. The Kenyan-registered helicopter 5Y-DKK had the manufacturerโs serial number 7027. The aircraft was chartered alongside many other Kenyan-registered planes to support the election campaigns and take presidential and parliamentary candidates around the country and their constituencies.
On board, besides the pilot, Capt. William Silaa, were a candidate standing for parliamentary re-election for a second term of office, Hon. Deo Filikunjombe, and other members of his team.
The crash occurred in te late afternoon on October 15 and a search-and-rescue mission dispatched at first light the next morning only discovered the charred remains of the helicopter but no survivors.
An air accident investigation is already underway, and debris from the crash is being transported to Dar es Salaam for closer inspection to try determine the cause of the accident.