Stefan G. Rasmussen

Last updated

Stefan Gydegaard Rasmussen
Born (1947-07-23) 23 July 1947 (age 76)
Randers, Denmark
Occupation(s)Pilot, Politician
Known forThe crash-landing SAS flight 751
SpouseAnnette Rasmussen
Children2

Stefan Gydegaard Rasmussen (born 23 July 1947) is a former Danish airline pilot who captained the crash-landing SAS flight 751 on 27 December 1991. There were no fatalities in the crash, and Rasmussen received recognition for his handling of the incident. He entered politics, and served in the Danish Folketing parliament from 1994 to 1996.

Contents

Early life

Rasmussen was born 23 July 1947 in Randers, Denmark. [1] After finishing middle school in Randers in 1967, he finished apprenticeship as an electrician in 1969. [1] He then spent one year at a technical school in Aarhus and worked as a travel guide before entering the Royal Danish Air Force in 1971. [1]

Career

Pilot

Rasmussen was an aircraft mechanic in the Royal Danish Air Force. He subsequently became a pilot and officer, having spent the year 1972 to 1973 in the US [1] where he graduated from Williams Air Force Base, Arizona in 1973 (class 74-01).

In 1979, Ramussen was hired as a commercial airline pilot for Scandinavian Airlines and after four years was promoted to captain. [2] He served as a board member in the trade union, the Danish Pilot Association from 1982 to 1984. [1]

On 27 December 1991, he was the Captain of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-81 registered OY-KHO which crash-landed at Gottröra in Sweden. In the initial climb both engines ingested ice which had built up on the two wings, which had not been properly deiced before departure, the engines then surged. Both engines were destroyed, leaving the aircraft with no propulsion. After a controlled low-altitude glide through trees, the aircraft landed in a field and broke into three parts. No fire broke out and all 129 passengers survived. [3]

Rasmussen was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the aftermath of the accident [3] and retired in 1992 after 13 years of flying with Scandinavian Airlines. He was the focus of a 2011 television documentary for National Geographic Channel titled Pilot Betrayed which completely exonerated Rasmussen of any fault in the crash and credited him with the survival of all aboard. [4]

For his heroism, Rasmussen was knighted by Queen Margrethe II into the Order of the Dannebrog. [3] He was awarded the H. M. The King's Medal by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. [1] He also received the IFALPA Polaris Award, IAPA Outstanding Service Award, [1] and an Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine Laurel Award.[ citation needed ]

Politics

In 1994 Rasmussen was elected to the Danish Folketing Parliament to represent the Ballerup Kommune for the Conservative People's Party. He served from 1994 to 1996, [1] but had to terminate his membership due to his continued PTSD. [5]

Later Rasmussen was elected to the city council in Frederikssund and served from 2000 to 2005. [5]

Later career

Rasmussen published the book Det gælder dit liv! about the crash. He has been a lecturer in both Denmark and abroad. [5] [6] In 2021 he published the book Du ska' ikk' spare mig....

Personal life

Rasmussen is married to Annette Rasmussen with whom he has two daughters. [3] He lives in Holbaek. [3]

Related Research Articles

Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, was a Norwegian airline which operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in 2004 to become SAS Braathens. For most of its history, Braathens was the largest domestic airline in Norway, but did not operate an international network for many years. Its main hubs were Oslo Airport, Fornebu and later Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, and briefly Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. The airline operated 118 aircraft of 15 models, mostly Boeing 737 variants. Braathens served 53 airports and 50 cities with scheduled services through its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandinavian Airlines</span> Flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. SAS is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark-Norway-Sweden. Part of the SAS Group and headquartered at the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Solna, Sweden, the airline operates 180 aircraft to 90 destinations. The airline's main hub is at Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport, with connections to 109 destinations around the world. Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the second largest hub, with Oslo Airport, Gardermoen being the third major hub of SAS. Minor hubs also exist at Bergen Airport, Flesland, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Stavanger Airport, and Trondheim Airport. SAS Cargo is an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines and its main office is at Copenhagen Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copenhagen Airport</span> International airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup is an international airport serving Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, as well as Zealand, the Øresund Region, and southern Sweden including Scania. In 2023 it is the largest airport in the Nordic countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linate Airport disaster</span> Aircraft accident in Milan, Italy in 2001

The Linate Airport disaster occurred in Italy at Linate Airport in Milan on the morning of Monday, 8 October 2001. Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 686, a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 airliner carrying 110 people bound for Copenhagen, Denmark, collided on take-off with a Cessna Citation CJ2 business jet carrying four people bound for Paris, France. All 114 people on both aircraft were killed, as well as four people on the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sud Aviation Caravelle</span> French twin-jet narrow-body airliner produced 1958–1972

The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle is a French jet airliner produced by Sud Aviation. It was developed by SNCASE in the early 1950s, and made its maiden flight on May 27, 1955. It included some de Havilland designs and components developed for the de Havilland Comet. SNCASE merged into the larger Sud Aviation conglomerate before the aircraft entered revenue service on April 26, 1959, with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); 282 were built until production ended in 1972. It was ordered by airlines on every continent and operated until its retirement in 2005.

The Conservative People's Party, also known as The Conservatives is a centre-right political party in Denmark. The party is a member of the International Democracy Union and the European People's Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogens Lykketoft</span> Danish politician

Mogens Lykketoft is a Danish politician who served as Leader of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne) from 2002 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uffe Ellemann-Jensen</span> Danish politician (1941–2022)

Uffe Ellemann-Jensen was a Danish politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark in the Conservative-led Poul Schlüter Administration from 1982 to 1993. He was leader of the Danish Liberal Party Venstre from 1984 to 1998 and President of the European Liberals 1995–2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751</span> 1991 aviation incident

Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 was a regularly scheduled Scandinavian Airlines passenger flight from Stockholm, Sweden, to Warsaw, Poland, via Copenhagen, Denmark. On 27 December 1991, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 operating the flight, registration OY-KHO, piloted by Danish Captain Stefan G. Rasmussen (44) and Swedish first officer Ulf Cedermark (34), both experienced pilots with 8,000 and 3,000 flight hours, respectively, was forced to make an emergency landing in a field near Gottröra, Sweden. Ice had collected on the wings' inner roots before takeoff, broke off, and was ingested into the engines as the aircraft became airborne on takeoff, ultimately disabling both engines. All 129 passengers and crew aboard survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Greenland</span> Flag carrier of Greenland

Air Greenland A/S, also known as Greenlandair, is the flag carrier of Greenland, owned by the Greenlandic Government. It operates a fleet of 28 aircraft, including 2 airliners used for transatlantic and charter flights, 8 fixed-wing aircraft primarily serving the domestic network, and 18 helicopters feeding passengers from the smaller communities into the domestic airport network. Flights to heliports in the remote settlements are operated on contract with the government of Greenland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Air</span> Defunct Norwegian airline, 1988–2008

Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation contracts in Southern Norway. The company had a fleet of de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft, later replaced with Jetstream 31s and ATR 42s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rand Airport</span> General aviation airport of Johannesburg; in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa

Rand Airport is an airport in Germiston, South Africa. It was constructed in the 1920s as the main airport for Johannesburg, but the city outgrew it and replaced the airport with Palmietfontein Airport in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oslo Airport, Fornebu</span> Former airport that served Oslo, Norway (1939–1998)

Oslo Airport, Fornebu(IATA: FBU, ICAO: ENFB) was the primary international airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at Fornebu in Bærum, 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city center. Fornebu had two runways, one 2,370 m (7,780 ft) 06/24 and one 1,800 m (5,900 ft) 01/19, and a capacity of 20 aircraft. In 1996, the airport had 170,823 aircraft movements and 10,072,054 passengers. The airport served as a hub for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), Braathens SAFE and Widerøe. In 1996, they and 21 other airlines served 28 international destinations. Due to limited terminal and runway capacity, intercontinental and charter airlines used Gardermoen. The Royal Norwegian Air Force retained offices at Fornebu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933</span> 1969 aviation accident

Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933 was a scheduled international flight from Denmark to the United States that on January 13, 1969, crashed into Santa Monica Bay at 19:21, approximately 6 nautical miles (11 km) west of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California, United States. The crash into the sea was caused by pilot error during approach to runway 07R; the pilots were so occupied with the nose gear light not turning green that they lost awareness of the situation and failed to keep track of their altitude. The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) aircraft had a crew of nine and 36 passengers, of whom 15 died in the accident. The flight originated at Copenhagen Airport, Denmark, and had a stopover at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, where there was a change of crew. The crash was similar to Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. The crash site was in international waters, but the National Transportation Safety Board carried out an investigation, which was published on July 1, 1970. The report stated the probable cause as improper crew resource management and stated that the aircraft was fully capable of carrying out the approach and landing. The aircraft was conducting an instrument approach, but was following an unauthorized back course approach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Bombardier Dash 8 landing gear incidents</span>

In September 2007, two separate accidents due to similar landing gear failures occurred within four days of each other on Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft operated by Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). A third incident, again with a SAS aircraft, occurred in October 2007, leading to the withdrawal of the type from the airline's fleet.

Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S or DDL, trading in English as Danish Air Lines, was Denmark's national airline from 1918 until it merged to create Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1951. DDL was established on 29 October 1918, but started its first scheduled route on 7 August 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Widerøe</span>

Widerøe's Flyveselskap ASA, is a regional airline based in Bodø Norway, established by

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Scandinavian Airlines System (1933–1952)</span>

The history of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) from 1933 to 1951 covers the first attempts at transatlantic travel, the establishment of a consortium and finally the establishment of the consolidated SAS. Aerotransport, the national airline of Sweden, and Det Norske Luftfartselskap (DNL), the national airline of Norway, both started planning transatlantic routes in the mid-1930s. By 1939, negotiations were started with Det Danske Luftfartselskab (DDL) of Denmark, and by 1940 services were to begin. Because of the German occupation of Denmark and Norway, the plans collapsed. In Sweden, Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik (SILA) was founded to start private transatlantic flights, which commenced in 1945. Negotiations were started again, and in 1946 the consortium Overseas Scandinavian Airlines System (OSAS) was established to start routes to New York and South America.

Cimber A/S was a Danish airline headquartered in Sønderborg and based at Copenhagen Airport. It flies exclusively for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) on a wet lease (ACMI) contract. Cimber has been owned by CityJet since early 2017 and was previously a subsidiary of SAS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Danish general election</span>

General elections were held in the Kingdom of Denmark on 5 June 2019 to elect all 179 members of the Folketing; 175 in Denmark proper, two in the Faroe Islands and two in Greenland. The elections took place ten days after the European Parliament elections.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Stefan G. Rasmussen (KF)" (in Danish). Folketing . Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "Kaptajn over eget og andres liv i nødlanding". Berlinske Tidende. 23 July 2002.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Funch, Maja (28 December 2022). "31 år efter nødlanding er "helte-piloten" stadig mærket: "Men jeg kan trods alt sige: 'Jeg lever'"". Kristeligt Dagblad (in Danish). Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  4. ↑ Tarp, David (6 April 2011). "SAS-helten føler sig forrådt". Berlingske Tidende.
  5. 1 2 3 Mørch, Tonie Yde (25 July 2005). "Næste nødlanding var hans egen tilværelse". Berlingske Tidende.
  6. ↑ Krog, Thomas Normark (28 October 2010). "Now Stefan Rasmussen is becoming known all over the world". B.T.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.