Editor's Review

The Marksmen Aerobatic Team had managed to put on a spectacular show at the KDF Airshow in Uhuru Gardens.

One of the South African pilots who played a role in the first Kenyan Defense Force Museum Airshow on Saturday is dead.

Mark Sampson died on Tuesday after being involved in a crash in Zimbabwe.

Sampson was among pilots of the Marksmen Aerobatic Team that had gone to Zimbabwe for a similar show.

He perished in a flying incident in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The team was on the return leg of a roundabout trip from Cape Town to Nairobi.

{KDF Uhuru Gardens Airshow held on Saturday, May 28, 2022}

The team had performed a successful aerobatic formation display when the accident occurred on May 31.

A statement from the team said they were devastated and were working with the Zimbabwean authorities.

{Mark Sampason. IMAGE: COURTESY}

“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,” read part of the statement.  

The Marksmen Aerobatic Team had managed to put on a spectacular show at the KDF Airshow in Uhuru Gardens, which they did in conjunction with the Aero Club of East Africa.