What happened
During a scheduled flight from Berlin to Stockholm, the Friesland, a four-engine aircraft, was approaching the Swedish coastline. While flying over the area near Malkläppen, the plane was struck by accidental gunfire originating from a German patrol boat. The impact caused the aircraft to crash into the water or nearby terrain in that location. All ten occupants on board were killed in the incident. The crew consisted of two pilots, Paul Gutschmidt and Ernst Breitenbach, along with radio operators Fritz Brauner and Wolfgang Lenz, plus additional passengers.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the accident was caused by friendly fire. The aircraft was shot down by a German patrol boat due to an accidental discharge of weapons during operations in the vicinity.