A small aircraft crashed early Wednesday near a village in southern Chad, killing both occupants who were on a conservation mission, according to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.
The two-seater Savannah S aircraft, operated by the African Parks Network, went down around 5:00 a.m. GMT while conducting a surveillance flight over the Zakouma region. The crash claimed the lives of the South African pilot and a Chadian official from the Ministry of Environment.
In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority expressed deep regret over the incident, confirming the fatalities and announcing that a formal investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched.
The aircraft was involved in a mission to monitor rhinoceros populations as part of ongoing conservation efforts in the region.
