A motivational speaker has shared a chilling account of his past experiences aboard the ill-fated helicopter that crashed in Nandi County, killing Johana Ngeno and five others, raising fresh concerns about aircraft safety and maintenance.
Osborn Yogo George, a life coach and motivational speaker, took to Facebook to narrate two frightening incidents involving the same aircraft, registration 5Y-DSB, months before Saturday’s tragedy.
His account has stirred emotional reactions online as Kenyans continue to mourn the victims of the crash.
According to George, he once travelled alone from Nairobi to Kisumu aboard the helicopter, landing inside the Molasses plant compound.
The following day, the aircraft was scheduled to ferry a delegation for official engagements, including a physical audit of the FLLoCA programmes in Bomet.
However, he recounted that the helicopter failed to start on the scheduled day. After several attempts, it briefly lifted off before dropping back to the ground.
A third attempt also failed, forcing those on board — including National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and Hon. Walter Owino — to disembark and wait nearly two hours for a replacement helicopter from Nairobi.
George further described a second terrifying episode during a flight from Migori to Kisumu following a meeting with the president.
As the aircraft approached Kisumu via the Nyakach side of Lake Victoria, severe storms struck mid-flight.
He said strong winds and heavy rain pushed the helicopter deep over the lake, creating panic among passengers.
“We prayed,” he recalled, describing a tense journey that ended in a silent landing at Kisumu before passengers proceeded to their hotel without speaking.
Following the ordeal, George said he resolved never to board the helicopter again.
News of Saturday’s crash, which claimed six lives, left him shaken.
“So seeing that it went down… hurts me. This thing ought to have been off the air,” he wrote.
Authorities have launched investigations into the crash as families, leaders, and the nation at large continue to mourn those who perished in the tragic accident.