How to Visit the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck

The crash

On the night of 21st November 1973, a United States Navy DC-3 plane was flying over South Iceland with seven crew members on board. It was returning from Höfn, where it had been delivering supplies to the Stokksnes radar station, and was bound for the military base at Keflavik. 

It’s unclear why the plane came down; various theories have been bandied around. It’s possible that the aircraft was experiencing technical difficulties, though the most common explanation suggests that the weather conditions were challenging and the plane suffered serious icing issues. 

Whatever happened to cause the accident, the plane came down. The pilot landed the plane with relatively little damage to the fuselage, and thankfully, all those on board survived the crash. Due to the remote location, marooned in the middle of a glacial outwash plain, it wasn’t deemed practical to recover the wreckage of the plane, and it has remained in situ ever since.

The aftermath

Icelandic weather has taken its toll, and much of the interior fixtures and fittings have been stripped out. Nevertheless, it’s this weather-beaten appearance that has made it such a popular destination with visitors keen to see what’s left. The plane has even featured in numerous music videos and television shows, including a Justin Bieber music video and in an episode of Top Gear America.  

As word spread, more and more travellers wanted to visit the site, but this demand needed careful management to avoid environmental degradation and to ensure the safety of those who came. Initially, it was possible to self-drive right up to the wreck in a 4x4, but the track was tricky to follow. These days, this route is classed as off-road, which means if you drive it, you face a hefty fine for breaking the law.

The way you experience the site has also changed. For many years, it was possible to clamber inside the plane and see how it had fared in the harsh Icelandic climate. However, tourists are no longer permitted to do this, and signs are displayed to this effect. There’s no reason why you can’t inspect the outside, though, which in itself is an unusual experience. After all, it’s not every day that you come across a crashed aircraft surrounded by black sand.

Tours, hikes, and shuttles

In recent years, to reach the crash plane, travellers have had a choice of either booking an organised excursion, for instance on a buggy or ATV, or taking a horseback riding tour. Another option is to leave your rental car at the designated car park. From the latter, it is possible to hike to the wreck, which takes about two hours to cover the 2.5-mile (4-kilometre) route. 

A shuttle bus is also available at a cost of 3200 ISK per person, which cuts that down to about ten minutes there and the same back. These depart regularly throughout the day from about 10 in the morning until around 5 in the afternoon. In theory, you can just turn up, but this part of Iceland gets busy in the summer, so we’d recommend you pre-book to avoid the risk of having to walk.

Where to find the crashed DC-3

The Sólheimasandur plane wreck is situated along the south coast of Iceland. Coming from the west, you’ll pass Skógafoss on your left. Continue to drive for about 5 miles (8 kilometres). On the right, you’ll see the parking lot, which is where you can leave your rental car and either set off on foot or connect with the plane wreck shuttle. 

Another plane wreck

As word of the site’s popularity spread, it was inevitable that others would see an opportunity to attract visitors to their part of Iceland. One such plane has made its way to the farm at Eyvindarholt. This particular DC-3 made its final flight between Keflavík and Sauðanes on 25th July 1969. 

During the landing, the plane veered to the right and skidded off the runway into a pile of driftwood. The wheel broke, and the wing hit the ground. Though no one was hurt, it was deemed a write-off as the cost of repairing the plane or getting it back to Keflavik was too much.  

For many years, it remained exactly where it had crashed, providing a makeshift shelter for the sheep and horses that were being reared on the farm. But word spread and visitors followed; the owners of the farm looked to rehome their plane wreck to ensure peace and quiet for their family and their animals. And so it was moved to Eyvindarholt. While perhaps it’s not as authentic as its Sólheimasandur counterpart, its story is just as interesting. In any case, there’s nothing to say you can’t visit both, right?