One of the pilots from Saturday’s airshow at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Museum at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, has died in Zimbabwe.
Mark Sampason crashed on Tuesday, May 31, in Harare during a similar show alongside his colleagues Marksmen Aerobatic Team, according to a statement from the team.
“It is with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that today, the Marksmen aerobatic team can confirm that Mark Sampson, outstanding aviator, honoured team member, trusted number-4 and loyal friend, perished in a flying incident in Harare, Zimbabwe,” they said.
They noted that they were on the return leg of a roundabout trip from Cape Town to Nairobi when the accident occurred.
“The Marksmen Aerobatic Team is devastated and we are currently working with the Zimbabwean authorities,” added the statement.
A video of the accident which took place at the Charles Prince Airport has since been making rounds on the internet.
The Marksmen Aerobatic Team had given a spectacular performance at the KDF Museum Airshow that was held in conjunction with the Aero Club of East Africa.
After the show, the team said they had a great weekend in Kenya displaying at Wilson airport in Nairobi.
“We were treated to exceptional Kenyan hospitality. The Museum Airshow Festival was held at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi and we were fortunate to display with the highly skilled aviators from the Kenyan Airforce (KAF) as well as a number of other commercial operators including Kenya Airways,” they said then.