The 5Y-GYM Eurocopter: Everything to know about the aircraft in the Samburu crash

The helicopter that crashed near Mt Ololokwe in Samburu on August 19, 2026, was a Eurocopter EC130 B4, registration 5Y-GYM, with manufacturer’s serial number (MSN) 3703.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft was carrying six passengers and a pilot when it crashed during a flight from the Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area.

What is the Eurocopter EC130 B4?

The EC130 is a light, single-engine turbine helicopter from the Ecureuil family.

The model was developed by Eurocopter, the company that later became Airbus Helicopters.

It was designed with passenger operations in mind, including sightseeing and commercial transport.

Its spacious cabin and large windows have also made the EC130 family popular in tourism operations.

The aircraft is fitted with a three-bladed main rotor and a Fenestron enclosed tail rotor, a distinctive feature of the Ecureuil family.

How many people can an EC130 carry?

The EC130 family is configured for passenger transport, with Airbus listing capacity for one pilot and up to seven passengers, depending on configuration.

Airbus' current H130, the successor in the same family, retains this capacity.

Capacity, however, is not simply a question of counting seats.

The number of passengers an individual flight can carry depends on factors including passenger and baggage weight, fuel load, temperature, altitude and operating limitations.

How fast and how far can it fly?

For the current H130 version of the aircraft family, Airbus lists a maximum cruise speed of 237 km/h (128 knots), maximum range of 606 km (327 nautical miles) and maximum endurance of about four hours.

Those figures are useful benchmarks, but they should not automatically be treated as the exact performance figures for 5Y-GYM, an older EC130 B4.

Real-world range varies with payload, weather, wind, fuel reserves and operating conditions.

How high can an EC130 fly?

Airbus lists the H130's maximum flight altitude at 23,000 feet (7,010 metres).

Its published hover ceiling outside ground effect at maximum take-off weight is 9,700 feet under standard atmospheric conditions.

A helicopter's maximum possible altitude is not the same as the altitude at which it can comfortably hover with a full load.

Temperature, weight and air density all affect helicopter performance.

The aircraft's history

5Y-GYM is not a recently built helicopter.

Historical aircraft records identify it as Eurocopter EC130 B4, MSN 3703, and records show it had been operating in Kenya for many years.

The same aircraft was involved in a 2015 emergency landing in Kinangop, after weather conditions reportedly forced the pilot to land in a potato field.

The passengers included then National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

The incident did not result in fatalities.

That history does not, by itself, indicate a mechanical or design problem with the aircraft.

From Eurocopter to Airbus

The name can be confusing.

Eurocopter became Airbus Helicopters in 2014, so aircraft records can refer to the same family using different manufacturer names.

Today, Airbus markets the H130, the modern successor to the EC130 line.

Its specifications show how the basic concept has evolved while retaining the spacious passenger cabin and single-engine configuration.

The cause of the Samburu crash has not yet been established.

As the official investigation progresses, more aircraft-specific information - including maintenance, flight and technical records - may clarify what happened to 5Y-GYM on its final flight.