– A man who has left his mark – news Nordland

Labor Party politician Odd Eriksen died today. He was minister of business in Jens Stoltenberg’s second government, and was the top political leader in Nordland for many years. He is perhaps best known for the drama in 2004, when he helped prevent a Kato Air plane from crashing. A male passenger, Brahim Bouteraa from Algeria, tried to crash the plane when it was on its way from Narvik Airport. The passenger hit the pilots with an axe, at the same time pushing the stick of the plane forward so that the plane went into a ditch. The two passengers Odd Eriksen and Trond Frantzen managed to overpower the hijacker. The cooperation between them and the pilots prevented the plane from crashing at Tverlandet in Bodø. Odd Eriksen and the others have received several awards after the heroic deed. Listen to the interview with Odd Eriksen from the hospital bed in 2004, just after the Kato Air incident: The Kato Air drama: – We were together about what Trond Frantzen was on board the plane with his 15-year-old daughter, when they barely saved their lives – I was very shocked and surprised. It is a man who has left his mark, says Frantzen to news shortly after he received the news of Eriksen’s death. – We were together about it. It is clearly an impact that one is still here today. We and many more. – He was whole – For me and mine in particular, it is the history of aviation that has meant a lot. But it is clear that he has left his mark in politics, and locally in Mosjøen he was a very well-known man. He was certainly a man who meant something to many. Frantzen says he feels for the family today. – We had many private conversations in the time afterwards at the various events we met at when it came to award presentations and the like. I felt that I got to know him a little then too, I didn’t know him before that. I got the impression that there was something about that man. Marlene and Trond Frantzen Photo: Privat Stoltenberg: – The brave man from the north Jens Stoltenberg writes this on Facebook today: “The brave man from the north is dead. Odd Eriksen always looked ahead. He was involved in many important political decisions that shaped our country. I got to know him as a shop steward and as a local and county politician, and took him on the team as minister for business when we formed a government in 2005. He will be deeply missed. Today, my thoughts are with the family.” The Prime Minister: – Sad Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) was in government with Eriksen, and also sends warm thoughts to the family: – It is sad that Odd Eriksen has passed away. We sat in government together, and I especially remember all the talks we had about business policy in Northern Norway, a topic Odd was particularly concerned about, he writes to VG. Ap deputy leader Bjørnar Skjæran worked closely with Eriksen in the Nordland Labor Party. – It was with sadness that we received the sad news this morning that Odd Eriksen has passed away. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones. Odd Eriksen was a figure in the Labor Party, and with his passing the Nordland Labor Party has lost one of our greatest politicians, writes Skjæran in a longer post on Facebook on Saturday.



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