Update March 17 – 1645 zulu time – thousands of pieces of downed Hercules scattered over large area
Unfortunately it looks like there is no hope of finding the crew of five from the transport plane “Siv” that went missing the other day.
Thousands of pieces of the aircraft has been found on the mountain Kebnekaise at an altitude of around 2,000 meters. The transport plane was en route from Evenes, Norway to Kiruna, Sweden to pick up, and transport military personnel back to Norway. This tragedy could have been much bigger, but that is probably not any consolation for the ones left behind from the crew of five…
Pieces from the transport aircraft partly covered covered in snow near down to the right in this photo (photo: Norwegian Special Forces, FSK, HJK, MJK)
Hurtigruten “Richard With” steaming in to the harbor bassin
Caught this “little boat” the Hurtigrute ship “Richard With” just now. “Richard With” is small (121.8 meters) compared to the iron ore carrier “Vogerunner” (176,838 DWT) by pier 5 in the background.
Hurtigruten is a really old coastal route running continously up and down the coastline og Norway with 13 ships. Ironically the head quarters of this coastal shipping line is located in Narvik, but the ships doesn’t frequent this harbor. It would take too long sailing in and out the Vestfjord. Well, that’s at least the explanation I’ve heard.
So why is on of Hurtigruten in Narvik today. Well, the city celebrates the building of the iron ore railway (1898-1902) from the Swedish mountain and mining city of Kiruna and Narvik becoming a city in 1903. This Vinterfestuka (Winter Festival Week) is an annual celebration and each year one of the Hurtigruten ships is in port, serving as hotel and restaurants for the festival, and it takes small fjord cruises, as was the case when I caught it sailing into port today.
"Richard With" - one of the ships serving "The most beautiful sea voyage in the World" - steaming into port. In the background the bulk/iron ore carrier "Vogerunner" (176,838 DWT)
Steaming to port: Hurtigruten ship "Richard With". In the background - tall building - the brand new Rica Hotel, a competitor to the hotel and restaurant service provided by "Richard With". Op to the right, the polytechnical college in Narvik.
Update 1100 zulu time – Still not found
The weather is really bad and there is still no trace from the missing Norwegian Hercules. And as time goes by, the chances for finding survivors are diminishing in the freezing and stormy weather. According to the news channel NRK, the radarlog shows that the plane flew towards the highest mountain in Sweden, Kebnekaise at a level 100 meters higher. The theory now is that the plane, for unknown reasons has crashed into the mountain.
The crew members has been released to the media.
Update 0900 zulu time – Denmark, Sweden and Norway
Right now the good neighbors of the Nordic Countries have pooled their ressources and although they have searched all night, new and rested troops are taking their way up the valleys and mountains to regain the terrain that was lost due to the extreme weather during the night.
Update 2000 zulu time – still missing up in the mountains
The Norwegian cargo airplane that went missing 1355 zulu time is still not found. According to the news at 2000 zulu time, the faint radio signal that should have been picked up by a Danish SAR EH-101 helicopter is not confirmed.
This cargo airplane is extremely sturdy. I have flown with the old C130. The plane missing is brand new. It has a Go-Around-Autopilot with Auto-Throttle, which enables the plane to take immediate control and climb if it inadvertently is steered towards the ground. That makes this all the more puzzling, and a heavy rotor turbulence associated with Lee Wave in between the mountains could maybe be an explanation, but this is a mere speculation for my part.
In any case, I hope and pray the crew has made it, but time is critical for survivors. It is freezing in the snowy winter mountains.
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