Widerøe Dash 7 crash
Encyclopedia
Widerøe Flight 710 was a regional flight operated by Widerøe
along the Norwegian
coastline between Trondheim and Bodø with intermediate stops at Namsos, Brønnøysund and Sandnessjøen. On 6 May 1988 the flight, operated by a de Havilland Canada
de Havilland Canada Dash 7
aircraft (registration LN-WFN) crashed in fog into nearby Torghatten
mountain on landing, en route from Namsos
to Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy
at Brønnøy
, Norway, killing all thirty-six passengers and crew. It remains the worst accident involving a Dash 7.
The flight was delayed and fully loaded when it left Trondheim due to a technical problem with an earlier flight. Even a jumpseat in the cockpit
was occupied by a passenger. After the intermediate landing at Namsos, the plane was no longer full, but a passenger remained in the jumpseat, and the cockpit voice recorder
picked up conversation between the passenger and pilot.
The report from the aviation accident commission found that the plane had descended about four nautical miles too early. No fault with the plane itself was found.
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
along the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
coastline between Trondheim and Bodø with intermediate stops at Namsos, Brønnøysund and Sandnessjøen. On 6 May 1988 the flight, operated by a de Havilland Canada
De Havilland Canada
The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
de Havilland Canada Dash 7
De Havilland Canada Dash 7
The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL capabilities. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier...
aircraft (registration LN-WFN) crashed in fog into nearby Torghatten
Torghatten
Torghatten is a mountain on Torget island in Brønnøy municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is known for its characteristic hole, or natural tunnel, through its center...
mountain on landing, en route from Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
to Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy
Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy
Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy is the airport serving the town of Brønnøysund in the Brønnøy municipality in Nordland, Norway. The airport is located southeast of the town centre and opened in 1968. Brønnøy is operated by Avinor...
at Brønnøy
Brønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
, Norway, killing all thirty-six passengers and crew. It remains the worst accident involving a Dash 7.
The flight was delayed and fully loaded when it left Trondheim due to a technical problem with an earlier flight. Even a jumpseat in the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
was occupied by a passenger. After the intermediate landing at Namsos, the plane was no longer full, but a passenger remained in the jumpseat, and the cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
picked up conversation between the passenger and pilot.
The report from the aviation accident commission found that the plane had descended about four nautical miles too early. No fault with the plane itself was found.