Nando Times

(fair use blah blah posted 10:41 MST 2000/03/06)

"Last 3 passengers from Botswana plane crash found alive

GABORONE, Botswana (March 6, 2000 10:02 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com)

Officials have found the last three passengers from a plane that crashed five days earlier in northeastern Botswana.

On Monday evening, a defense force helicopter spotted Lyn Stellenberg of Botswana, and Mike Nikolic and Neb Graovac, both of Yugoslavia. The men had severe burns but were able to walk, said Patrick Proctor, general manager of Medrescue International. They were taken to a hospital.

The pilot, Costa Markanadatos of Greece, and a fourth passenger on Sunday evening walked into a Botswanan Defense Force camp at Pandamatenga, about 125 miles from the crash site.

The five survived by drinking rainwater and drinks from a cooler they had brought onto the plane, a South African-registered Cessna 414. Markanadatos had radioed about oil pressure problems before the plane was reported missing Wednesday."

-- firefly (forest@calm.dot), March 06, 2000