African Parks Pilot and Plane Missing in Cameroon

African Parks regrets to announce that Bill Fitzpatrick, the African Parks’ pilot employed at Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, has gone missing in the park’s aircraft en route between Nigeria and Cameroon. He was flying alone at the time of his disappearance on Sunday evening, 22 June. 

Fitzpatrick took off from Kano in Nigeria on Sunday and was headed for Douala in Cameroon and then on to Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. Although scheduled to depart Kano at 14H00, he was delayed for unknown reasons and his flight only departed at 18H13. His last known contact was at 22H00 when he reported to the control tower at Douala that he was 65 nautical miles from the city. African Parks was notified on Monday that the aircraft had not landed at Douala and there had been no subsequent contact with Fitzpatrick.

The newly-acquired Cessna 172 was recently flown from the US to Dakar in Senegal, where it was collected by Fitzpatrick on 19 June. His route plan from Senegal, via Mali, Niger and Cameroon, to Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo was organised by a UK-based flight planning and clearance company. The plane was to be used for conservation and anti-poaching surveillance in and around Odzala-Kokoua National Park.

A search for the missing pilot and plane has been launched in Cameroon, with aircraft and a helicopter deployed to search in areas corresponding to the flight path. The search, which is being conducted by Cameroon and US authorities assisted by a private charter company, is currently being hampered by difficult terrain.

A US citizen and experienced pilot with more than 25 years’ experience, Bill Fitzpatrick was previously employed as a ranger and pilot at North Cascades National Park in Washington and prior to that at Artic National Park in Alaska. He joined African Parks as Odzala’s resident pilot in November 2013.