Extraordinary suitcase from early days of KLM opens during National Museum Week

During National Museum Week, which begins Monday, April 9, Aviodrome will open the suitcase of KLM flight engineer Kotte, who crashed in 1931. This special showpiece contains personal belongings of Kotte, such as his passport, the last letter from his wife, photographs and travel reports. The suitcase and its contents thus tell in a personal way a story about the early days of Dutch civil aviation.

Crashed in a rice fieldEarly on the morning of Dec. 6, 1931, Kotte, his crew and passengers boarded the KLM Fokker F. VIIb PH-AFO, aka the "Stork. From an airport north of Bangkok, where they had celebrated St. Nicholas Eve, they resume their return trip to the Netherlands. During takeoff, the aircraft failed to get off the ground, coming to a stop against a dike and was completely destroyed. The three passengers and 2 crew members, including Kotte, perish.

Finally visible to museum visitorsKotte had worked as a technician for KLM since 1925. The trip on the Stork was his fifth trip to the East Indies. After his death, his suitcase with personal effects was given to his wife. After being in private possession for several years, the suitcase was donated to Aviodrome. The suitcase and contents have always been kept under the right temperature and humidity in the archive, which is not normally accessible to museum visitors.

A story behind the steelEspecially for National Museum Week from April 9 to 15, 2018, Aviation Theme Park Aviodrome is opening the suitcase for the first time. For anyone curious about the stories from the early days of civil aviation, the suitcase and its contents are highly recommended. A special piece with a story among all the historical steel.

The suitcase can be admired during Museum Week. With a museum annual pass, Aviodrome is freely accessible.

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