The Tanzanian pilot who went missing over four years ago, is … eh … still missing!
Mystery: Samuel Gibuyi was piloting the small aircraft alone when both he and the plane went missing in 2021.
The man and the aircraft are still missing today, with no information or traces about them being reported anywhere.
And it seems the case has totally been buried. But did they crash or chose to fly away?
But with no wreckage found, people still wonder if Gibuyi simply flew onto the unknown or crashed into a hard-to-reach place, if not jungle abyss.
The aircraft reportedly lost communication before disappearing while flying on ‘special mission,’ over the vast Selous Game Reserve, in Southern Highlands.
Search and Rescue teams were dispatched to trace the pilot and his machine but despite repeated efforts, there are still no reports of the missing plane.
Samuel Gibuyi a Database Manager and Pilot for PAMS Foundation a conservation entity dedicated to the fight against poaching, illegal logging and wildlife trafficking was in the doomed plane cockpit.
During the time of the incident, Krissie Clark the Founder and Executive Director of PAMS Foundation stated that they aggrieved by the loss.
‘’We are deeply saddened to report that our treasured brother, friend, colleague and pilot Samwel Gibuyi, is still missing. Samwel was flying a mission across southern Tanzania last week when his plane failed to arrive at its destination.
Search and Rescue efforts were launched immediately and have been ongoing for more than two weeks before the teams gave up the mission.
Krissie Clark added:
“We are so grateful for the support we have received from our partners in government and the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority who have all been tirelessly helping us look for Samwel and providing their expert advice.”
“We also want to thank our fellow conservation NGOs for their efforts to help and the many private individuals who have stepped up and offered assistance.”
“The plane that Samwel was flying is well known for its excellent safety record. In the rare emergency situations, pilots are able to guide the plane down to the ground and avoid serious injury.”
On the other hand, Samwel was described to be a long-standing team member of PAMS and an experienced pilot.
The Pilot is an Alumni of Sokoine University of Agriculture.
There are reports that his plane disappeared while flying over Tanzania’s largest Game Reserve, therefore making the search rather difficult, taking into consideration the precinct covers over 50,000 square kilometers.