SERENGETI — Nelson Mabeyo, son of Tanzania’s Chief of Defence Forces General Venance Mabeyo was the pilot ill-fated Auric Air plane that crashed on Monday at the Seronera Airstrip which is inside the Serengeti, it has been confirmed.
The plane crash that killed two at around 0730Hrs was heading to Arusha.
Local media report that , together with his co-pilot left the Julius Nyerere International Airport in in Dar es Salaam on the same aircraft on Sunday September 22.
Speaking from the Seronera Airstip, Serengeti , Auric Air’s supervisor Peter Kimaro named the co-pilot as Nelson Orutu who was an intern.
“Prior to departure the pilot had gone through the necessary pre-departure checklist and was allowed to fly to Gurument to pick tourists who were supposed to be taken to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA),” said Mr Peter Kimaro.
According to kimaro who was at the airport, soon after departure the aircraft changed course hitting one of the toilet building at the airstrip.
“They both died instantly but the Fire Bridage was at hand to extinguish the fire and the remains of the two pilots have been preserved at Soronera Dispensary waiting for further arrangements,” he said.
Auric Air Cessna 208 Caravan (5H-AAM) lost height and crashed soon after take-off from Seronera Airstrip (HTSN), Serengeti, Tanzania.
Confusion on the identity of the pilot hit the social media before it was later confirmed that the pilot was the son of Tanzania’s Chief of Defence Forces General Venance Mabeyo.