Bukken Bruse disaster
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 2, 1948 |
| Type | Bad weather upon landing |
| Site | Trondheim |
| Fatalities | 19 |
| Injuries | ? |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Short Sandringham |
| Operator | Det Norske Luftfartselskap |
| Tail number | LN-IAW |
| Passengers | 38 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Survivors | 24 |
The Bukken Bruse disaster was a flying boat crash upon landing at Hommelvik in Trondheim, Norway, on October 2, 1948. The disaster killed 19 people. Among the survivors was the philosopher Bertrand Russell.
[edit] Events
The flying boat was a Short Sandringham, registration LN-IAW and named "Bukken Bruse" (after the fairy tale "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"). The plane, operated by Det Norske Luftfartsselskap, now a part of SAS, was en route from Oslo.
The weather upon landing in Trondheim was poor, and the sea in Trondheim was foaming white. While the plane was about to land in the water, it was hit by a wind gust, the pilots lost control of the aircraft, and the right pontoon broke as it hit the water. The plane rolled over to the side and the front tipped onto the water.
The plane rapidly filled with water. Of the 45 people on board, 19 perished. The survivors were all in the smoking compartment at the back of the plane, near the emergency exit.
[edit] Bertrand Russell's account
The 74 year old philosopher Bertrand Russell was on the flight, to hold a lecture for the local student society. He was seated at the rear of the smoking compartment. In an interview with Adresseavisen the day after the crash, he said that he was uncertain of what was happening after the jerk until the plane tipped over and water rushed in. In his autobiography he wrote that he had made sure to get a seat in the smoking compartment before the flight, saying that "If I cannot smoke, I shall die." Russell was hospitalized in a Trondheim hospital.
