The ground search team comprises members of the Botswana police, the Wildlife Department, medical personnel and members of the public from Middlepits and surrounding areas.
The statement said the Botswana Department of Civil Aviation has received offers of assistance from the South African authorities. "Every effort is being made to search for the crew and an investigation into the incident will commence in due course," the statement added. It revealed that a light South African aircraft, DV 20, registration ZS-OSJ, force-landed near the village of Khawa, north-west of Middlepits on Sunday. The exact time of landing is not known, but the aircraft was on its way from Namibia to Upington, South Africa.
A statement from the Department of Civil Aviation says it is apparent that the crew did not have any intention of entering or flying through the Botswana airspace and as such the crew did not file a flight plan with the Botswana authorities.
The aircraft was sighted by wildlife personnel on Tuesday this week, but the crew had apparently walked away from the scene.
The crew's footprints were sighted up to four kilometers from the scene. Further attempts to follow the crew's path have not borne fruit because the footprints have been washed by the rains.
