In Zimbabwe, one of the pilots from Saturday’s airshow at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Museum in Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi died.
According to a statement from the team, Mark Sampason crashed on Tuesday, May 31, in Harare during a similar display with his teammates Marksmen Aerobatic Team.
“It is with tremendous regret and a deep feeling of loss that the Marksmen aerobatic team can reveal today that Mark Sampson, exceptional aviator, honoured team member, trusted number-4, and devoted friend, killed in a flying incident in Harare, Zimbabwe,” they wrote.
When the disaster occurred, they were on the return leg of a circle trip from Cape Town to Nairobi.
“The Marksmen Aerobatic Team is distraught,” the statement said, “and we are presently working with Zimbabwean authorities.”
A video of the mishap at the Charles Prince Airport has been making the rounds on the internet since then.
The Marksmen Aerobatic Team put on a fantastic show at the KDF Museum Airshow, which was co-hosted by the Aero Club of East Africa.
The crew stated they had a terrific weekend in Kenya, showing at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, after the exhibition.
“Exceptional Kenyan hospitality was extended to us.” “We were lucky to exhibit with the highly competent aviators from the Kenyan Airforce (KAF) as well as a number of other commercial operators including Kenya Airways at the Museum Airshow Festival,” they remarked at the time.
