 AShort Sandringham similar to the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 October 1948 |
| Summary | Loss of control while landing |
| Site | Hommelvik,Malvik Municipality, Norway |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Short S.25 Sandringham 5 |
| Aircraft name | Bukken Bruse |
| Operator | Det Norske Luftfartselskap (DNL) |
| Registration | LN-IAW |
| Flight origin | Oslo-Fornebu Airport |
| Destination | Trondheim-Hommelvika |
| Passengers | 38 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 19[1] |
| Survivors | 26[1] |
TheBukken Bruse disaster was the crash of aflying boat during its landing on 2 October 1948. TheShort Sandringham was on a Norwegian domestic flight fromOslo and was landing in the bay adjacent toHommelvik near the city ofTrondheim. The disaster killed 19 people;[1] among the 26 survivors was the philosopherBertrand Russell.
The flying boat was aShort Sandringham, registration LN-IAW and namedBukken Bruse after the fairy tale "TheThree Billy Goats Gruff". The aircraft, operated byDet Norske Luftfartsselskap (now a part ofScandinavian Airlines System) was en route from Oslo'sFornebu Airport.
The weather in the area of the landing was poor at the time, and the sea in the bay of Hommelvika was foaming white. When the Sandringham was about to touch down on the water, it was hit by a wind gust; the pilots lost control and the rightwing float broke off as it hit the water. The aircraft rolled over to the side and its nose ploughed into the water.
The fuselage rapidly filled with water. Of the 45 people on board, 19 perished.[1] The survivors were all in the smoking compartment at the back of the cabin, near the emergency exit.[2]
The 76-year-old philosopherBertrand Russell was on the flight on his way to give a lecture to the local student society. He was seated at the rear of the smoking compartment. In an interview with Trondheim newspaperAdresseavisen the day after the crash, he said that he was uncertain of what was happening after the jerk until the aircraft 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 should die". Russell was hospitalized in a Trondheim hospital.[3]
The investigation found that the crash was caused by the pilot's loss of control during his attempt to land the Sandringham in acrosswind and rough seas with limited space available.[1]
63°25′05″N10°47′33″E / 63.4181°N 10.7925°E /63.4181; 10.7925