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, 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.

Footballers

The plane was carrying eight association football players to Herning Airport for a final trial match at Herning stadium to select the for the 1960 Olympic tournament. Three of the eight had been provisionally selected for the squad; the rest were :Category:European national B association football teams|B-team and youth internationals with a last chance to impress the selectors.
The dead were:
PlayerAgeClubCapsPositionDay-jobNotes
21KB4GoalkeeperButcherSelected for the Olympics.
29AB20Half-backEngineerFirst reserve for the Olympics.
21KB0 WingerStudent teacher
23Frem0StrikerWarehouse worker
29Køge11Full-backCustoms officialSelected for the Olympics.
20KB3Centre halfBlacksmith's apprenticeSelected for the Olympics.
19Frem0 ForwardApprentice mechanic
19Ikast0Centre halfOn military service

Two fishermen found pilot Stig Vindeløv alive in the wreckage, along with Per Funch Jensen, who died en route to hospital.

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. These were all youth players. Dyreborg was demoted from the first plane to make room for a kit basket.

Olympics

After the accident, the Danish FA considered withdrawing from the Olympic tournament. In the event, they won the silver medal, losing to Yugoslavia in the final.