Accident Overview
An aircraft on a flight from Dar es-Salaam to Nairobi was cruising at an altitude of 10,500 feet in marginal weather conditions when it struck the southeast slope of Mawenzi Peak, the second highest peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. At the time of the accident, the mountain was shrouded by clouds and visibility was poor.
Wreckage and Rescue
The wreckage was reached by rescuers on May 22. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, and all 20 occupants have been killed.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause, as stated in the investigation findings, is as follows: The pilot's decision to proceed on the direct track to Nairobi, and this consideration is not affected even if he intended to divert in the vicinity of Kilimanjaro. The meteorological conditions were marginal and his first mistake occurred in not discussing the weather with the meteorological forecaster. Had he done so he might well have decided to proceed via Tanga, although in making this decision he might have been influenced by the fact that there were no specific instructions regarding an alternate route. It must be remembered, however, that he was fairly new in the Corporation and he might have thought it impolite to depart from normal practice.