A pilot who participated in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Museum Air Show on May 28, 2022, died after crashing during a solo aerobatic display at Harare's Charles Prince Airport on May 31, 2022, preliminary reports confirm.
The incident involved a member of the four-plane aerobatics team led by South African pilot Mark Hensman. The crash occurred as the pilot executed maneuvers during an airshow, with witnesses describing the aircraft spinning multiple times before losing control.
Aviation enthusiasts at the event initially believed the sequence was part of the performance before realizing the plane had crashed nose-first into the runway. Zimbabwe's Aviation Authority has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
The KDF airshow, held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, featured military and civilian aircraft displays, including a fly-past by Kenya Airways and aerobatic performances by Phoenix Aviation. The event drew significant public attention and was attended by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Charles Prince Airport, a private facility 16 kilometers northwest of Harare, has no commercial airline operations but hosts airshow events. The specific aircraft model involved in the crash remains unidentified pending official confirmation.
