Sólheimasandur airplane wreckage

On the black south coast of Iceland lies an attraction that is very different from the country's usual natural spectacles. We are talking about the US Navy C-117D plane wreck near Sólheimasandur, which crashed in 1973. Although the way to the wreck can be arduous, today it is a popular destination for tourists of all kinds and offers a little change from the otherwise untouched nature in Iceland.

At 2:00 p.m. on November 21, 1973, a U.S. Navy Douglas C-117D aircraft on its way from Hofn Hornafjördur Airport to Naval Air Station Keflavik in the Sólheimasandur area. Previously, the crew had been making deliveries to the radar station at Stokksnes. The cause of the crash remains controversial to this day; theories range from a misplaced fuel tank, to broken thrusters, to the formation of ice on the aircraft's surface. However, it is certain that weather conditions were very bad that day and pilot Captain James Wicke had to make an emergency landing of the plane on a frozen river on the beach. Fortunately, all seven passengers of the flight survived and did not have to wait long for their rescue by helicopter. The plane itself, however, faced a different fate: the U.S. Navy took everything of value and left the plane on the barren coast, which was described by the pilot himself as "like the surface of the moon."

Today, the rusty hull still lies at the site of the accident and now attracts numerous tourists and photographers. The plane is mostly intact, only the wings were carried away by the tides and rumor has it that an Icelandic farmer took off the rear part and sold it. In addition, there are traces of tourists, some graffiti and bullet holes on the metal walls, the latter due to local hunters who used the wreck as a training target. Due to the extraordinary contrast from the black beach to the white plane, the surreal landscape and the appearing northern lights, the attraction has become a very popular photo motif. Although the wreck has been in the same place for almost 50 years now, its existence is not destined to last forever. Melt water from the Mýrdalsjökull glacier could carry the wreckage into the open sea once the active Katla volcano, which lies beneath the glacier, erupts. With or without the plane wreck, a visit to Sólheimasandur is worth it, just for the breathtaking scenery and the black beaches that look as if they are from another planet.

If you want to visit the Sólheimasandur plane wreck, there are some points to consider. Since 2014, it is no longer allowed to drive a vehicle to the wreck and camping is also prohibited, as this is private property. The attraction can be visited as part of various tours, as well as individually. For people with a vehicle, a special parking lot has been built on the Ring Road, right at the beginning of the road to the wreck. It is located between the village of Vik and the Skógafoss waterfall on the road and is not really signposted, so we recommend that you arrive with GPS and coordinates. You can get to the wreck either by foot, by bike or by the "Plane Wreck Shuttle". On foot, depending on your pace, the route takes about 1-2h each way and leads straight through the barren landscape. The more comfortable (but correspondingly more expensive) option, the shuttle bus, takes only 15 minutes each way and runs almost every day, with departures from the parking lot every 35 minutes. Once at the wreck, you can enjoy yourself as you wish, taking photos or marveling at the scenery. For some time now, there has been a sign posted by the landowners prohibiting boarding. The best time to visit the wreck is considered to be the warmer months from May to September, when the path is free of snow and the weather conditions are usually good. You can also visit the wreck in winter, but here we highly recommend hiring a reliable guide who knows the area or booking a tour. The weather at this time of year can be very brisk, changing in a very short time and preventing any visibility or orientation. Many tourists who did not listen to the warnings had to be rescued from critical situations and tragically there have been some deaths related to the icy cold.

On our Iceland trip you can visit the airplane wreck among countless other highlights. Our guide Thor will accompany you safely there and back, so you can enjoy this extraordinary place without any worries.