Focus areas of probe into what caused FlySax plane crash

A team of detectives on Monday morning began combing through the scene where the ill-fated FlySax aircraft crashed killing 10 people at the Elephant Peak in the Aberdare Forest.

The team coordinated by the National Disaster Management Unit of the National Police Service will be seeking to recover the wreckage to conduct technical investigations into what exactly might have caused the Tuesday evening crash.

While the aircraft accident investigation department seeks to establish the first point of contact of the plane with the rock, the government pathologists, will be collecting possible samples from the aircraft for analysis.

Yet another team of investigators will be probing the audio tape detailing communication between the control towers and the cockpit. This, in a bid to put to rest speculations over the cause of the crash that killed ten people among them two pilots.

Bodies of the 10 victims were recovered and transported to Nairobi two days after the plane, which was heading to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from Kitale, was reported missing.

The search and recovery exercise was greatly hampered by bad weather and steep terrain.

Last week the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said a probe into the accident was launched immediately the Fly SAX plane was reported missing on Tuesday.

“Once investigations are complete, the report will be handed over to the Transport Ministry, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and other relevant agencies,” Capt. Gilbert Kibe said in a statement.

Countries involved in the probe include the United States, Canada and Fiji, all of whom have been notified as required by international statues.

A specialized agency of the United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), has also been informed of the ongoing investigations.

Once the wreckage is recovered from the crash site, deeper examination and analysis of crucial aircraft components will be conducted, Capt. Kibe added.