Rescue Mission Turns Tragic as Five Killed in Kilimanjaro Helicopter Crash

A medical evacuation helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro on Wednesday evening, killing all five people on board, according to Tanzanian authorities.

The aircraft, operated by Kilimanjaro Aviation, went down between Barafu Camp and the Kibo Summit—an altitude of more than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet)—along one of the mountain’s most heavily traveled climbing routes. Police confirmed that the helicopter had been dispatched on a rescue mission to retrieve patients from the mountain when the crash occurred.

Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Simon Maigwa said the victims included two foreign nationals who had been picked up for evacuation, a local doctor, a tour guide, and the pilot. Local media later identified the foreign passengers as Czech tourists, while the pilot was reported to be a Zimbabwean national living in Tanzania.

The Tanzania National Parks Authority confirmed the deaths and said the Czech climbers had been on a six‑day trek that began the previous weekend. They were descending the mountain when they required medical evacuation.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority announced that a formal investigation is underway in accordance with international aviation safety protocols to determine what led to the fatal incident.

Aircraft accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are rare, despite the mountain’s heavy tourist traffic and challenging high‑altitude conditions. The last major aviation incident in the region occurred in 2008, when four people were killed in a separate crash.

Authorities have not released further details, and Kilimanjaro Aviation has not yet issued a public statement regarding the tragedy.

As investigators begin their work, the incident has cast a somber shadow over the holiday climbing season on Africa’s highest peak, which draws thousands of trekkers each year.