The captain, knowing the plane was off centre and unsure how much runway was left, ordered a go-around; the first officer had independently come to the same conclusion at about the same time.

Immediately, the first officer advanced the thrust levers, selected go-around mode for his flight director, and pulled back on his control column, and the aircraft began to pitch up.

This broke off the right winglet and the nose landing gear, destroyed the radome, and caused heavy damage to the underside of the aircraft.

One large tree had entered the cabin through the main passenger door and cut a path in the fuselage through the first five rows of seats.

A number of severely injured passengers had to be extracted from the aircraft with the "jaws of life" prior to receiving medical treatment.

This, combined with the snow, fog, and darkness, hampered rescue efforts as the first responders did not arrive until 90 minutes after the incident.