Braathens Flight 239

Infobox Airliner accident|name=Braathens Flight 239
Date=December 23, 1972
Type=Controlled flight into terrain
Site=Asker
Origin=Ålesund Airport, Vigra
Destination=Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Fatalities=40
Injuries=5
Aircraft Type=Fokker F-28 Fellowship
Operator=Braathens S.A.F.E.
Tail Number=LN-SUY
Ship name="Sverre Sigurdsson"
Passengers=42
Crew=3
Survivors=5

Braathens Flight 239 was a flight between Ålesund Airport, Vigra and Oslo Airport, Fornebu which crashed in Asker on December 23 1972 killing 40 people. It was the worst airline disaster involving a Norwegian airline until Partnair Flight 394, and the worst disaster on Norwegian soil until Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801. It was also the first fatal crash of a Fokker Fellowship.

Aircraft

The aircraft was a Fokker F28 Fellowship, with tail number LN-SUY and nicknamed "Sverre Sigurdsson". It had entered service in 1969. On this flight there were 42 passengers and a crew of 3. This was the first FokkerF-28 Fellowship in commercial service.

Crash

The plane crashed near the Asdøltjern Lake, 15 km from the airport, whilst making a night time approach to Fornebu airport. The plane was flying too low and was somewhat off course, perhaps because the crew had taken a shortcut. Fog and low clouds may also have contributed to the accident. When rescue teams arrived at about 23:00, they found only seven survivors, two of whom died shortly afterwards.

A memorial to the victims was erected near the crash site in 1998.

External links

* [http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19721223-0 Aviation safety.net entry on Braathens Flight 239]
* [http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/brt.htm Airsafe.com entry]

See also

*Aviation in Norway

Other references

*cite book
year = 1999
title = Århundrets Hvem Hva Hvor
publisher = Schibsted
id = ISBN 82-516-1759-6