NDOLA — 1961 · Suspicious Death
Crash of Dag Hammarskjöld's Plane
In the early hours of 18 September 1961 the DC-6 carrying UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld to peace talks over the Congo crisis crashed into woodland while approaching Ndola, then part of Northern Rhodesia. All 16 people aboard died. A Rhodesian inquiry blamed pilot error, while a 1962 UN inquiry reached no firm conclusion. Years later witnesses came forward saying the site was sealed off by security forces hours before the wreckage was officially found and that they had seen a second aircraft fire on the plane. In 2013 a commission of four international jurists cited 'significant new evidence' and recommended that the UN reopen its investigation. The crash has still not been fully explained.
- Date
- 1961
- Place
- Copperbelt, Zambia, Ndola, ZM
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- -12.9700, 28.5300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 18 September 1961Hammarskjöld's DC-6 crashed near Ndola; 16 people died.
- 1962A Rhodesian inquiry blamed pilot error; a UN inquiry was inconclusive.
- 17 August 2011Previously unheard witnesses described a second aircraft.
- 9 September 2013The Hammarskjöld Commission recommended the UN reopen its inquiry.
Sources
- BBC News — Dag Hammarskjold death: UN 'should reopen inquiry' bbc.co.uk ↗
- The Guardian — Evidence suggests UN chief's plane was shot down theguardian.com ↗
- Wikipedia — 1961 Ndola Transair Sweden DC-6 crash en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.