What happened
On the afternoon of January 31, 2005, an aircraft arrived at Helsinki–Vantaa Airport from Sweden. Following the unloading of cargo, the pilot prepared for a return flight to Sweden, originally destined for Skavsta but later redirected to Örebro. Due to the co-pilot being unwell, the pilot operated the flight as a single-pilot operation. Before departure, the pilot cleared significant snow and ice from the aircraft's upper surfaces.
At approximately 16:52, the pilot communicated via the Helsinki Control Tower frequency to indicate taxiing toward the takeoff position at runway 2/2L intersection Y. After receiving takeoff clearance at 16:54, the pilot performed a standard takeoff using 10 degrees of flaps, reaching an airspeed of 80-90 knots. At an altitude between 800 and 1000 feet, the pilot retracted the trailing edge flaps. Immediately following this action, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled right-hand turn. The pilot attempted to steer the aircraft toward the end of runway 22R for an emergency landing, managing to level the wings briefly before the aircraft crashed to the right of the runway extension. The pilot lost consciousness during the impact.
Findings
Several procedural and documentation errors were identified during the investigation. The flight plan was filed incorrectly using an incorrect tail number and lacked essential details, including the date, crew information, upper wind estimates, fuel calculations, and necessary signatures. Furthermore, the pilot was operating with outdated meteorological data and lacked the most recent aeronautical information for the return leg. While a weight and balance calculation had been performed correctly, it was not located in the cockpit. The investigation noted that the pilot retracted the flaps, which immediately preceded the loss of control.