Sunday October 20, a seaplane disappeared during a flight between Nocy Bé (Madagascar) and Mayotte. On board, two French nationals: Karim Amroussi and Khalid Kaab, both experienced pilots. The French authorities participated in the searches during the first three days before relegating them to the JRCC of Madagascar.
The Malagasy authorities, with French material support from CROSS South Indian Ocean, were mobilized during the first 80 hours of the disappearance, to try to find the two people. They were able to count on 4 aircraft, in addition, nearly 20 commercial ships were diverted.
After a little more than three days, all French equipment was requisitioned for “lack of new elements to investigate at sea” according to a press release from CROSS and the Prefecture of Mayotte.
Contacted last Tuesday, the JRCC of Madagascar, which is in charge of the search, announced that there was no more sweeping. Only passing ships are notified.
In addition, the internal investigation into the circumstances is led by CROSS SOI, located on Reunion Island, and by the Accident Investigation Bureau, located in Paris. No entity is present in Mayotte.
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©ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
Research completed, a situation that questions
Contacted, Karim Amroussi's sister wonders about the duration of the research. “How can we stop looking for two people, two French nationals, when we have not found a device or a body, it is incomprehensible.”
The prefect of Mayotte, who received the families, has no further information regarding this situation.
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©Sdis Mayotte
A prepared trip
For a long time, Karim Amroussi and Khalid Kaab have been preparing and talking about this trip, according to the families of the two men. The first works at Electricité De Mayotte, at the same time he is a corporal and firefighter. The second is a microlight flight instructor.
If Karim Amroussi had already made the return flight from Mayotte to Nosy Bé, he had never done it with his friend, and never by seaplane. Before leaving, an additional vest equipped with a beacon would have been lent to them.
The outward journey went very well, arriving on Friday October 18, the two men spent the weekend in Madagascar, before taking control of their aircraft again on Sunday, at 11:47 a.m.
Shortly after, the signal was lost with the microlight, “while it was flying over an area located approximately 152 kilometers from Nosy Bé airport” according to Ravinala Airports, manager of Madagascar's international airports in a press release. Since then, no news.
