Military

DATE=7/21/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT (LONG)

TITLE=KENYA / AIR CRASH (L O)

NUMBER=2-305634

BYLINE=CATHY MAJTENYI

DATELINE=NAIROBI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Rescuers are still working to retrieve the bodies of 12 U-S tourists and two South African pilots whose light charter aircraft crashed into Mount Kenya Saturday. Cathy Majtenyi reports from Nairobi.

TEXT: Heavy cloud cover Monday prevented police helicopters from retrieving the bodies of those killed from the Lenana Peak of Mount Kenya. The mountain is 112 kilometers north of Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Senior police official Sevelino Kubai says rescuers are having a difficult time even identifying the victims, as the crash site is littered with body parts.

/// KUBAI ACT ///

Identifying them as bodies is not simple now.

/// END ACT ///

The director of Kenya's Civil Aviation office, Chris Kuto, says the passengers consisted of two American families who had chartered the flight from Mozambique to a lodge in northeast of Mount Kenya. It is believed that the aircraft flew over Mount Kenya as part of the sightseeing tour, as most flights do not go above Mount Kenya but west of it.

Mr. Kuto says he does not want to speculate on the cause of the crash because investigators are in the process of studying the flight tapes. But he says bad weather, poor visibility, and poor judgment were factors leading to the crash.

/// KUTO ACT ///

There are a number of other factors you should consider: like, for example, if the pilot is not familiar or he didn't do a good flight planning to know the highest point of his route, to be able to fly either higher than that or to go around.

/// END ACT ///

U-S embassy officials were on their way to the crash site Monday.

Meanwhile, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has sent his condolences to President Bush and South African President Mbeki. (SIGNED)

NEB/CM/KL/FC