On 16 July 1960, after taking off from Copenhagen Airport at 15.38 local time, a de Havilland Dragon Rapide plane, (registration OY-DZY) chartered to the Danish Football Association, crashed into the Øresund about 50 metres (160 ft) from shore after the pilot lost control of the aircraft in severe weather.

All eight passengers died; the pilot survived but required a leg to be amputated.

[1] Three of the eight had been provisionally selected for the squad; the rest were B-team and youth internationals with a last chance to impress the selectors.

[1] The dead were:[1] Two fishermen found pilot Stig Vindeløv alive in the wreckage, along with Per Funch Jensen, who died en route to hospital.

[1] A smaller plane waiting for clearance to take off when the accident occurred was due to carry four other players to the same match: Erik Dyreborg, Hans Christian Andersen, Bent Jørgensen, and Bjarne Eklund.