Update: The main picture has been updated.
A Cessna Caravan aircraft, owned by Coastal Aviation, with 10 passengers and one pilot on board, crashed yesterday morning in the Empakaai area in northern Tanzania, resulting in the death of all on board.
Mark Witney, Singita’s COO, has expressed deep condolences to the families of the passengers. “What has happened is tragic. We will await further news developments from Coastal Aviation.”
The names of the passengers and crew were being withheld until their families could be informed.
"Obviously, we are in shock. This is devastating," said Coastal Aviation Managing Director, Julian Edmunds.
"I fly our planes regularly. I have the utmost faith in our crew and our equipment. On behalf of the entire team at Coastal, we will be doing everything we can to assist the pending investigation."
The company said the accident took place at 11h00 (0800 GMT), and access to the remote site had been difficult.
eNCA reports that an official at the nearby Serengeti National Park, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the bodies of all the victims had been retrieved, except the pilot's.
"There are some foreigners among the dead, but also Tanzanians working in the tourism industry," he said.
Julian Asher, the founder of Timeless Africa based in London, said that, at present none of their clients with bookings to travel to Tanzania had expressed concern, though some travel agent partners have asked questions.
“I am, however, personally concerned that this is the second incident Coastal Aviation has had within a short time frame and that relatively little information has been provided to the industry, leaving us mostly in the dark. I look forward to more information from Coastal shedding additional light on these incidents.”
On October 25 a Coastal Aviation Cessna Grand Caravan, with 10 passengers and one pilot, had an accident while landing at Lobo airstrip in the Serengeti National Park. Two of passengers and the pilot received injuries which required a two-day period of hospitalisation. In a statement the company said: “Regarding the dynamics of the accident it can now be asserted that the aircraft overran the runway after touchdown in poor weather. The reasons are yet to be determined and are currently under investigation by the authorities, with the full support of Coastal staff.”
No follow up statement was issued.
Tourism Update will update this story as it develops.
