Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200 C-4 Condor in the Lavangen fjord: 51 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 11, 1944 at 1245 LT
Operator:
Registration:
F8+ES
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Banak – Trondheim
MSN:
163
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
46
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
51
Circumstances:
En route from Banak to Trondheim, while cruising north of Narvik, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Lavangen fjord, east of Harstad. All 51 occupants were killed, among them 41 Luftwaffe Helferinen (female military assistants).
Crew (III./7./KG 40):
Lt Hans Gilbert, pilot,
Oberfw Gert Jochums, copilot,
Oberfw Martin Hochmuth, radio operator,
Fw Hubert Langguth, flight engineer,
Fw Hans Prahl.
Passengers:
Hauptmann Major Franz Krenn,
Obering D. L. Bömike,
Hauptmann Eduard Clement,
SS-Rottenführer Emil Widmer,
Kriegsmarine Obermaat Eugen Däumichen.
Stabshilferin Passengers:
Edith Allihn,
Erika Busack,
Anny Chalupnik,
Irmgard Dorth,
Gerda Fiebke,
Irmgard Friedrich,
Anna Glaser,
Ruth Griebsch,
Elsbeth Grommisch,
Anna Göring,
Barbara Hill,
Elisabeth Hoffmann,
Emma Hoffmann,
Theresia Hoffmann,
Irmgard Karp,
Hildegard Krause,
Edith Krüger,
Ingeborg Kruschewitz,
Margrete Leuschner,
Charlotte Nickel,
Lieselotte Oeffner,
Eveline Peters,
Franziska Ruhl,
Anni Schima,
Charlotte Schmidt,
Erika Schöne,
Hildegard Siegler,
Irma Sorgatz,
Angela Trenz,
Emma Wagner,
Gunda Weber,
Elisabeth Wiesenhütter,
Marianne Seidel,
Christel Stappen,
Elsbeth Streletzki,
Margarete Seibert,
Brunhilde Otto,
Ilse Otto,
Anneliese Ebert,
Hilda Röstel,
Gertrud Staeglich.
Source & photos: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/salangen.html
Crew (III./7./KG 40):
Lt Hans Gilbert, pilot,
Oberfw Gert Jochums, copilot,
Oberfw Martin Hochmuth, radio operator,
Fw Hubert Langguth, flight engineer,
Fw Hans Prahl.
Passengers:
Hauptmann Major Franz Krenn,
Obering D. L. Bömike,
Hauptmann Eduard Clement,
SS-Rottenführer Emil Widmer,
Kriegsmarine Obermaat Eugen Däumichen.
Stabshilferin Passengers:
Edith Allihn,
Erika Busack,
Anny Chalupnik,
Irmgard Dorth,
Gerda Fiebke,
Irmgard Friedrich,
Anna Glaser,
Ruth Griebsch,
Elsbeth Grommisch,
Anna Göring,
Barbara Hill,
Elisabeth Hoffmann,
Emma Hoffmann,
Theresia Hoffmann,
Irmgard Karp,
Hildegard Krause,
Edith Krüger,
Ingeborg Kruschewitz,
Margrete Leuschner,
Charlotte Nickel,
Lieselotte Oeffner,
Eveline Peters,
Franziska Ruhl,
Anni Schima,
Charlotte Schmidt,
Erika Schöne,
Hildegard Siegler,
Irma Sorgatz,
Angela Trenz,
Emma Wagner,
Gunda Weber,
Elisabeth Wiesenhütter,
Marianne Seidel,
Christel Stappen,
Elsbeth Streletzki,
Margarete Seibert,
Brunhilde Otto,
Ilse Otto,
Anneliese Ebert,
Hilda Röstel,
Gertrud Staeglich.
Source & photos: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/salangen.html
Probable cause:
The loss of control was caused by a structural failure of the tail that broke off in flight, causing the aircraft to enter a spin and crashing into the fjord. It appears the aircraft was heavily loaded at the time of the accident.
