What happened
The incident occurred less than one minute after departure from Kastrup Airport. While climbing to an altitude of 200 feet in a 40 km/h northeast wind, the aircraft experienced a sudden nose-down attitude. It impacted a snow-covered field located 1,000 meters from the airport perimeter. The crash resulted in a massive explosion that destroyed the airframe through impact forces and subsequent post-crash fire. All 22 occupants on board were killed. The crew consisted of the pilot, co-pilot, two radio operators, a flight engineer, and a steward.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the loss of control during the initial climb was caused by stabilizers blocked by a wooded lock pin. During a stopover in Copenhagen, a ground technician installed wooden lock pins on both the rudder and the stabilizer to prevent movement due to moderate winds. Before takeoff, one technician removed the pin from the rudder but failed to remove the one from the stabilizer because it had been placed by a different worker who was unaware of the procedure. Additionally, no crew member performed a walk-around inspection prior to departure, and the pilots did not verify the status of the stabilizers before initiating the takeoff roll.