Dental identification after the Dash 7 aircraft accident at Torghatten, Northern Norway, May 6th, 1988

The accident occurred when a Dash 7 aircraft hit a steep mountain side and fell approximately 70 meters. A fire broke out immediately and all 33 passengers and three crew members perished. Most of the victims were found in or near the wreckage and burnt by the fire. The identifications were carried out by the Norwegian Identification Commission which included four dentists. One dentist, together with a pathologist, co-operated with the police at the site of the accident. All 36 victims were identified and in 32 cases (89%) dental identity was established. This success was mainly due to systematic radiographic recordings of the victims and a comparison with ante-mortem radiographs. The Norwegian computer programme for identification was successfully tested during this investigation.