Hydrogen balloon Ornen (Andree ex... crash, Jul 14, 1897 (3 killed)
Hydrogen balloon Ornen (Andree expedition) accident on July 14, 1897 near Arctic pack ice near Kvitoya, Svalbard, Norway with 3 fatalities. Cause: Ice...
- Date: July 14, 1897
- Aircraft: Hydrogen balloon Ornen (Andree expedition)
- Location: Arctic pack ice near Kvitoya, Svalbard, Norway
- Fatalities: 3
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: Ice accumulation from freezing rain after hours of bad weather forced the balloon down onto the pack ice.
The Ornen balloon of the S. A. Andree Arctic expedition was battered by bad weather and lost ropes early in the flight that began on 11 July 1897. It came down on the pack ice about three days into the expedition. All three members later died on Kvitoya, and the cause of death is still unclear.