The crash of the Partnair Convair 340/580 in the Skagerrak: traumatological aspects.

In September 1989 an aircraft carrying 55 people crashed into the sea north of Denmark. There was no warning of the crash. The medico-legal investigation of the accident concentrated on finding clues to the cause of the accident, and identifying the victims, all of whom perished. These were found in two groups--31 were immediately recovered from the surface of the sea and 19 were collected from the sea or shore during the following months. The injuries in the two groups differed, indicating that the aircraft broke up in mid-air. One group probably fell into the sea after a free fall, while the other probably remained in the wreckage until hitting the surface. The victims' injuries showed no evidence of fire or explosion. The technical investigators concluded that the aircraft broke up due to a structural failure in the tail.