Iceland – The Abandoned DC-3 Plane Wreck on the South Coast


Flugzeugwrack DC-3 am schwarzen Strand von Sólheimasandur in Island von oben

I don’t need to write much more about the wreck of the old DC-3 at Sólheimasandur – I’ve been to this surreal place a few times. And yet we managed to take the wrong turn off the Ring Road again, even though this time a small sign would have shown the way. The wide tracks in the black sand give it away anyway: the wreck stopped being a secret long ago. Still, it stays surreal – a silver fuselage in the middle of nowhere. The US Navy aircraft had to make an emergency landing on the sandur in 1973, and the crew survived; the wreck has lain there ever since and today can only be reached from the car park on the Ring Road on foot or by shuttle bus.

Plane wreck on a patch of snow in the black sand of Sólheimasandur, straight from above
A silver fuselage on an island of snow in the black sand of Sólheimasandur.
Plane wreck in the snow on the wide outwash plain of Sólheimasandur from the air
The wreck in the snow on the wide outwash plain, the sea behind.
DC-3 plane wreck on the black beach of Sólheimasandur in Iceland from above
The DC-3 from above – it has lain here since 1973.
Fuselage and engines of the plane wreck in the snow from above
Fuselage and engines in the snow.
Golden strip of light under dark clouds over the sea at Sólheimasandur
A golden strip of light beneath dark clouds over the sea.
Silhouette of the plane wreck against an evening sky with glowing clouds
The silhouette of the wreck against glowing evening clouds.
The plane wreck as a silhouette in the evening light at Sólheimasandur
A fuselage in the middle of nowhere – as surreal as ever.
Plane wreck on the horizon of the black beach under a pale sky
The wreck on the horizon of the black beach.
DC-3 plane wreck with snow on the beach under grey clouds
The DC-3 with snow beneath grey clouds.
Dark outline of the plane wreck under storm clouds
A dark outline beneath storm clouds.
Fuselage of the plane wreck at blue hour at Sólheimasandur
The fuselage in the blue hour.

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