The disappearance of a Norwegian national hero

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) is one of the greatest national heroes of Norway. He was the first person in the world to set foot on the South Pole (1911) and the first person to have been on both the South Pole and North Pole.  Amundsen was also the first person to traverse the Northwest Passage. 

Amundsen’s Latham 47.02 float plane took off from the northern Norwegian town of Tromsø on June 18, 1928.  Amundsen was on a rescue mission with a French-Norwegian team led by pilot René Guilbaud aimed at finding Umberto Nobile, the pilot of the airship Italia, and his crew.  Amundsen and Nobile were well-acquainted. Two years earlier, Amundsen had flown over the pole to Alaska with Nobile and the American Lincoln Ellsworth. Truth be told, the two weren't exactly the best of friends. But now Nobile was in danger, and Amundsen was determined to find him. It was a mission he would pay for with his own life.


Radio traffic with the French biplane broke off just under three hours after it took off. The airplane and the crew were lost without a trace -- to this very day.

The search for Amundsen goes on, read more here:
http://searchforamundsen.com