Dag Hammarskjöld sought to shape the United Nations as an organisation devoted to peace and he lost his life in this pursuit. In September 1961, during a mission to the newly-independent Congo, Hammarskjöld was on his way to meet Moïse Tshombe, leader of secessionist Katanga province, when tragedy struck.

Shortly after midnight on 18 September, the DC-6B aircraft “Albertina”, owned by the Swedish company Transair and flown by a Swedish crew, crashed on its approach to Ndola airport in Northern Rhodesia (today Zambia). All 16 people on board, including Dag Hammarskjöld, the members of his mission and the Swedish crew, perished in the crash.

There have been numerous investigations and UN resolutions surrounding the crash conditions, which are outlined below.

Timeline of developments