Reykjavik – Vágar

On September 26, 1970 at 10:56 AM, Reykjavik – Vágar experienced a crash involving Fokker F27 Friendship, operated by Flugfélag Íslands, with the event recorded near Mt Knúkur Vágar.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

34 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 26 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 23.5%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 30, passenger fatalities: 7, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Flights from Reykjavik to Vágar were cancelled on 23 and 24 September. On 25 September, while approaching the Faroe Islands, weather was poor and the crew diverted to Bergen Airport, Norway. In the morning of 26 September, it appears that weather conditions improved slightly at Vágar Airport. On approach, the crew encountered clouds and limited visibility so the pilot was unable to locate the fjord mouth. Following a holding circuit of 25 minutes over the MY NDB, the crew initiated a descent. A minute later, while at an altitude of 1,55 feet, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Knukur located few km from the airfield. A crew members and seven passengers were killed while 26 other occupants were injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration TF-FIL, MSN 10356, year of manufacture 1968.