TCAA suspends search for missing pilot and aircraft

By Alex Nelson Malanga

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Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) has suspended the search and rescue activities of the missing pilot after one month.

 Mr Samwel Gibuyi was working with the Pams Foundation, conservation organization.
The pilot, who went missing a month ago, was flying the microlight aircraft registered in Tanzania as 5H-MXO type BatHawk owned by Pams Foundation.
According to the statement signed by TCAA’s director general, Mr Hamza Johari, the suspension of the search and rescue (Sar) came after the team failed to find any links to the aircraft and the pilot despite concerted efforts.
“In that context the accident investigation will begin immediately in accordance with the law,” reads a part of the statement availed to the media.
The decision also came after TCAA, Pams Foundation and other parties participating search and rescue agents analysed the Sar activities done and the time spent for the whole exercise and concluded that thorough aerial and ground search have been conducted covering all the ‘hotspots’.
Aerial search and ground search started in the morning of October 19, 2021, using three aircraft tracking the presumed route of the missing aircraft.
Further, wildlife wardens were sent in groups to different areas in the search area.
However, neither the aircraft nor the pilot had been spotted to date.
“In that regard, search and rescue activities are suspended until lead-in information from the public is received,” said Mr Johari in a statement availed to the media.
TCAA urged the public in general to provide any information which may lead to the locating of the aircraft and the pilot.
On October 19, TCAA received information from Capt. (Pilot) Peter James Fox of Fly Safari Air Link that a microlight aircraft owned by Pams Foundation was missing.
On the fateful day, the aircraft departed Matemanga airstrip in Tunduru, Ruvuma region around 15:00Hrs local time for a wildlife surveillance support mission between Matemanga and Kingupira in the Selous Game Reserve.
The aircraft had only a pilot on board and in the course of flight neither did it contact air traffic control nor was it detected by radar as it was flying at a very low altitude.