What happened
In the early hours of the accident date, an aircraft departed from London Airport at 01:30 GMT. The flight was a scheduled service destined for Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen, transporting a cargo consisting of newspapers, mail, and various freight. The flight crew consisted of two members.
While performing holding maneuvers over Radio Beacon Bella, the aircraft experienced a significant mechanical failure when three of its four engines ceased operation. This loss of power resulted in a reduction in altitude. At 04:03 GMT, the crew performed a forced landing approximately 14 miles northwest of Kastrup Airport. Although the aircraft sustained substantial damage upon impact, no fire occurred during the event, and there were zero fatalities among the crew.
Findings
Investigations into the incident determined that the primary factor was the accumulation of ice on the engine cowlings. This buildup occurred because the aircraft's de-icing system failed to function correctly. As chunks of ice were ingested into the engines, they caused partial flame-outs. The subsequent loss of power triggered the auto-feathering mechanism, which led to the shutdown of the affected engines.