Harpoon Missile Misfire Incident
Date:	September 6, 1982
Site:	Lumsås, Zealand, Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Caused by:	Royal Danish Navy Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
Cause:	Technical malfunction; human error
Casualties/injuries:	None
Other damage:	Extensive property damage

On September 6, 1982 a frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

, the HDMS

Royal Danish Navy

The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...

 Peder Skram

Peder Skram (F 352)

HDMS Peder Skram was a Peder Skram class frigate in the Royal Danish Navy which was in use until 1990. It was named after Peder Skram, a 16th century Danish admiral.Today it lies at Holmen where it serves as a museum ship.-Career:...

, accidentally fired a Harpoon missile

Boeing Harpoon

The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas . In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977...

 during maneuvers in the Kattegat

Kattegat

The Kattegat , or Kattegatt is a sea area bounded by the Jutland peninsula and the Straits islands of Denmark on the west and south, and the provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland and Bohuslän in Sweden on the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Øresund and the Danish...

. The missile traveled 34 kilometers at low level, severing several power lines before striking some trees after which it exploded. The fireball and subsequent shock wave destroyed four unoccupied summer cottages, while damaging a further 130 buildings in the immediate vicinity. No human injury was reported.

Cause

A navy investigation into the matter initially concluded that a technical malfunction was the cause of the launch as it happened without the launch key being activated. The missile system had undergone maintenance and was in the process of being checked by an expert from the navy material command. He was charged for negligence and was eventually convicted. Later most charges were dropped by a second investigation. The manufacturer of the missile later paid the Danish government a compensation, which covered all the damages made by the missile.

USS Coontz incident

On July 14, 1981 the off St. Croix experienced a similar incident also involving a Harpoon missile, which impacted in the ocean.