Vestmannaeyjar – Reykjavik

On January 31, 1951 at 12:00 AM, Vestmannaeyjar – Reykjavik experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Flugfélag Íslands, with the event recorded near Reykjavik Capital Region (Höfuðborgarsvæði).

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

20 people were known to be on board, 20 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 17, passenger fatalities: 17, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The crew started the approach to Reykjavik Airport in poor weather conditions. While descending to an altitude of 500 feet, the captain informed ATC he was unable to locate the runway and did not establish a visual contact with the approach lights. In such conditions, he decided to make a go around and followed a circuit over the area at an altitude of 2,000 feet, awaiting for weather improvement. Few minutes later, ATC informed the crew that the visibility was better and that he would be able to make a second attempt to land. While approaching the coast, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the ocean about 16 km off the village of Hafnarfjörður, south of Reykjavik. SAR operations were immediately conducted but the first debris were found on water a day later only. None of the 20 occupants survived the accident.

Aircraft reference details include registration TF-ISG, MSN 12482, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 64.1055°, -21.8229°.