What happened
On April 12, 1960, a Cessna 180, registration HB-COU, crashed in a field near Oerslev, northeast of Vordingborg, Denmark. The aircraft had departed from Copenhagen Kastrup at 10:51 GMT on a private flight destined for Mannheim, Germany.
During the flight, the pilot encountered low-lying stratus clouds. Seeking to maintain visual contact with the ground, the pilot descended to a very low altitude. While attempting a sharp right turn to avoid low cloud fragments and reposition the aircraft for a potential landing on a visible field, the aircraft entered a stall. This resulted in a steep spiral dive that impacted the ground at a high angle. The impact caused the fuel tanks to rupture, leading to a post-crash fire that consumed much of the wreckage. All three occupants—the pilot and two passengers—were killed upon impact.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the flight conditions at the time of the accident. The investigation established that the aircraft was within its weight and center-of-gravity limits at the time of the crash. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the aircraft flying at a low altitude and noted that the engine sounded normal prior to the accident. One witness observed the aircraft performing a steep descent before the fire erupted.
Technical analysis of the weather conditions revealed that the area was under the influence of a low-pressure system, resulting in low cloud ceilings and restricted visibility. The investigation also looked into the pilot's recent history, noting that while he was a qualified pilot, he had recently undergone training for this specific aircraft type and had reported limited sleep prior to the flight.