President declares national mourning for air crash victims

The crash is the worst in the airforce's history since WWII and left 20 dead, including many senior airforce officials. Meanwhile, a task force of forensic experts and military prosecutors continued their examination of the site to determine the cause of the crash. The findings will probably be known in a few days time. The plane's black box was found yesterday afternoon. "This should enable us to discover the cause of the crash," said General Gromosław Czempiński, who heads Warsaw's Aeroclub. There was speculation that the guidance system at the airport may have been faulty. It emerged too that the pilot had to make a second attempt at a landing amid what were difficult weather conditions. But top military officials and experts refused to comment pending the findings of the taskforce. "The relatives of all the 20 victims will receive financial aid. Each of the victims will receive posthumous promotion," Defense Minister Bogdan Klich declared yesterday. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 1; Dziennik, p. 1) R.M.