1960 Danish football air crash
On 16 July 1960, after taking off from Copenhagen Airport at 15.38 local time, a de Havilland Dragon Rapide plane, (registration OY-DZY) chartered to the Danish Football Association, crashed into the Øresund about 50 metres from shore after the pilot lost control of the aircraft in severe weather. All eight passengers died; the pilot survived but required a leg to be amputated.[1][2]
 A Dragon Rapide similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 16 July 1960 |
| Summary | loss of control in severe weather |
| Site | Øresund |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | de Havilland Dragon Rapide |
| Operator | Zonens Redningskorps |
| Flight origin | Copenhagen Airport |
| Destination | Herning Airport |
| Passengers | 8 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Footballers
The plane was carrying eight association football players to Herning Airport for a final trial match at Herning stadium to select the Danish squad for the 1960 Olympic tournament.[1] Three of the eight had been provisionally selected for the squad; the rest were B-team and youth internationals with a last chance to impress the selectors.[1]
The dead were:[1]
| Player | Age | Club | Caps | Position | Day-job | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Funch Jensen | 21 | KB | 4 | Goalkeeper | Butcher | Selected for the Olympics. |
| Erik Pondal Jensen | 29 | AB | 20 | Half-back | Engineer | First reserve for the Olympics. |
| Kurt Krahmer | 21 | KB | 0 (8 youth, 1 B cap) | Winger | Student teacher | |
| Søren Andersen | 23 | Frem | 0 | Striker | Warehouse worker | |
| Børge Bastholm Larsen | 29 | Køge | 11 | Full-back | Customs official | Selected for the Olympics. |
| Arne Karlsen | 20 | KB | 3 | Centre half | Blacksmith's apprentice | Selected for the Olympics. |
| Ib Eskildsen | 19 | Frem | 0 (had youth caps) | Forward | Apprentice mechanic | |
| Erling Spalk | 19 | Ikast | 0 | Centre half | On military service |
Two fishermen found pilot Stig Vindeløv alive in the wreckage, along with Per Funch Jensen, who died en route to hospital.[1]
Second aircraft
A smaller plane waiting for clearance to take off when the accident occurred was due to carry four other players to the same match: Erik Dyreborg, Hans Christian Andersen, Bent Jørgensen, and Bjarne Eklund.[1] These were all youth players.[1] Dyreborg was demoted from the first plane to make room for a kit basket.[1]
Olympics
After the accident, the Danish FA considered withdrawing from the Olympic tournament.[1] In the event, they won the silver medal, losing to Yugoslavia in the final.[1][3]
References
- Kleiner, Allan Helleskov; Tommy Heisz (16 July 2010). "I dag er et trist jubilæum for dansk fodbold" (in Danish). Politiken. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- Madsen, Frederik. "7. kapitel: ZR's Flyvetjeneste". Zone-Redningskorpset i Danmark (in Danish). Museum for Zone-Redningskorpset. ISBN 978-979-8191-75-6. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- Organizing Committee of the Games of the XVII Olympiad (1960). The Games of the XVII Olympiad: Rome 1960; Official Report (PDF). Vol.2. p. 240.