A small Cessna 208 aircraft registered 5Y-CCA operated by Mombasa Air Safari crashed early Tuesday in Kwale County, Kenya, killing all 11 people on board. The plane bound from the coastal town of Diani to Kichwa Tembo Airstrip in the Maasai Mara National Reserve as flight RRV203, was carrying eight Hungarian and two German tourists, along with a Kenyan pilot.
The crash occurred around 05:30 a.m. near the Tsimba Golini area, not far from the Indian Ocean coast. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before the aircraft erupted into flames upon impact, leaving debris and remains charred beyond recognition.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the accident, noting that emergency and investigative teams were already at the site. Preliminary reports suggest fog and low clouds may have caused the pilot to lose control shortly after takeoff.
In a statement, Mombasa Air Safari expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy and pledged full cooperation with authorities during the investigation.
The Maasai Mara, one of Kenya’s premier safari destinations, attracts thousands of international visitors each year. This incident, which claimed the lives of mostly foreign tourists, underscores the ongoing safety challenges of small aircraft operations in the country’s remote regions.
Today: a Cessna 208 crashed in Kwale (Kenya). All 11 aboard died. Aircraft was operated by Mombasa Air Safari [Registration "5Y-CCA"] was operating a tourism flight. Source @AviationSafety pic.twitter.com/KYZWn4N1xV
— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters) October 28, 2025