A dual-engine failure caused an emergency field landing near Gottröra, Sweden; all 129 aboard survived, prompting aviation safety reforms.
Key Facts
- Date
- 27 December 1991
- Aircraft type
- McDonnell Douglas MD-81
- Registration
- OY-KHO
- Persons aboard
- 129 passengers and crew
- Fatalities
- 0
- Cause
- Wing-root ice ingested into both engines after takeoff
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Before takeoff from Stockholm, ice accumulated on the inner roots of the MD-81's wings near the fuselage. As the aircraft became airborne, the ice broke off and was ingested into both engines, causing them to fail. The crew had not detected this specific icing condition prior to departure.
On 27 December 1991, SAS Flight 751, operated by an MD-81 with 129 people aboard, suffered a dual-engine failure shortly after takeoff from Stockholm. Captain Stefan Rasmussen and First Officer Ulf Cedermark executed an emergency landing in a snow-covered field near Gottröra, Sweden, managing to bring the aircraft down without fatalities.
All 129 passengers and crew survived the crash-landing, an outcome widely described in Sweden as the 'Miracle at Gottröra.' The accident led to significant scrutiny of ground de-icing procedures and contributed to updated aviation safety guidelines regarding wing-root icing detection before departure.