Wicknell Chivayo Helicopter Crash: Pilot’s Last Words Before Fatal Crash Surface

A security aide travelling in a separate helicopter described the final radio exchanges before the crash that killed five people on September 30, 2026The pilot carrying Wicknell Chivayo repeatedly radioed that he was trapped in cloud and unable to exit the bad weatherCommunication with the aircraft went silent after the pilot appeared confused about the destination, moments before the crashGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

A security aide attached to Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has given a harrowing account of the last radio transmissions made by a pilot before a helicopter crash that killed five people on September 30, 2026.

Security aide recounts the final words before the helicopter crash that killed five, as Wicknell Chivayo’s pilot struggled in the clouds before silence. Image credit: Pilot Institute, Wicknell Chivayo Source: UGCThe aide, who was aboard a separate helicopter on the same return journey, said conditions in the sky deteriorated sharply while both aircraft were in the air.

The pilot carrying Chivayo suggested rerouting through Bromley to avoid the worsening weather.

As the two helicopters attempted to navigate the conditions, the aide monitored radio communication between the two pilots.

Video: Wicknell’s security aide shares what happened before the helicopter crash

The transmissions grew increasingly alarming.

The last known position of the stricken aircraft placed it somewhere over Surrey.

When the aide's pilot radioed that he was ten minutes from Marondera, the response from the other cockpit was deeply unsettling.

The aircraft crashed shortly afterwards, claiming the lives of everyone on board.

The aide also addressed the figures that circulated in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Initial reports suggested six people had died, but the aide clarified that the correct number was five.

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No further identities of those on board were confirmed in his account.

Chivayo, a high-profile Zimbabwean businessman, was among those travelling in the ill-fated helicopter.

The aide's testimony represents the most detailed eyewitness account to emerge from the tragedy, offering a minute-by-minute picture of how quickly the situation unravelled in the final moments before the crash.

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Wicknell Chivayo, the flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman widely known as Sir Wicknell, had cultivated one of the more unusual cross-border relationships in East African political life before he died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, near Marondera, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean authorities confirmed that a helicopter carrying a prominent businessman, his wife, two other passengers and two pilots went down in Marondera Rural, with no survivors.

While officials had not publicly named the victims at the time of the initial announcement, Zimbabwean media subsequently identified Chivayo and his wife, Lucy "Lulu" Muteke, as among those killed.

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Ruth Sekyi (Entertainment Editor) Ruth Esi Amfua Sekyi is a Human Interest Editor at YEN.com.gh with 4+ years’ experience across radio, print, TV, and digital media. She holds a B.A. in Communications (PR) from UNIMAC-IJ. Her media career began at Radio GIJ (campus radio), followed by Prime News Ghana. At InstinctWave, she worked on business content, playing major role in events organized by the company. She also worked with ABC News GH, updating their site, served as Production Assistant. In 2025, Ruth completed the ECOWAS, GIZ, and MFWA Information Integrity training. Email: [email protected]