On the 21st November 1973, a United States Navy DC3 plane was flying back to Keflavik from Hofn after delivering supplies. During the flight the aircraft experienced severe icing forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing on Sólheimasandur Beach. Fortunately, all crew members survived and were rescued by helicopter. The DC3 was deemed unsalvageable, all sensitive equipment was removed leaving behind only the fuselage (it was the Cold War then and Iceland served as a military base for the United States and NATO). Since then, the wreckage has been lying on the beach, exposed to the elements as a testament to that fateful day.
I’ve been intrigued by this wreckage since I’d learnt about it from my first trip to Iceland, and made it a point to visit if I ever had the chance to come back. Well, the chance came last November 2023 on my second visit to Iceland. Over the years, the plane wreck has become somewhat of a tourist attraction. It was featured in Justin Bieber’s 2015 music video “I’ll Show You” and since then it has been used by other celebrities in their music videos. It’s also a popular spot for photographers. The stark contrast of the black sand beach against the bare metal of the fuselage stripped of paint from gale force winds and abrasive sand, against a barren landscape is something you’d only see in apocalyptic movies or video games.
The winter sun hung low in the afternoon sky, casting a warm, golden glow that transformed into dazzling starbursts as it filtered through the numerous perforations in the fuselage.
While researching for this post, I’d realized that my visit in November 2023 is exactly 50 years since the plane crashed (give or take a few days). I wonder if it will still be around after another 50 years, or would it be rusted into the sand?
Getting to the Wreck
The location of the wreck is somewhere between Skogafoss and the village of Vik along the Ring Road. If you are renting a car and driving towards Vik on the South Coast, you will pass Skogafoss first. Before reaching Vik, you will see a carpark in the middle of nowhere on your right. This is your cue to exit into the carpark. Although there is a sign that says you have to pay for parking, it seems that at the moment this is not being enforced. For people driving the Ring Road as part of their itinerary, the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck can be one of your stops if you have the time. There are also guided tours which make this one of their stops.
Just getting to the carpark isn’t the end of the journey. You won’t see the plane wreck from there. Its a 3.8 km hike to the wreck itself from the carpark. It should take you about an hour to make the hike. The hike is a boring walk through a barren desert of black sand. The trail is well marked with yellow posts on both sides of the trail. Well, fortunately some enterprising people have decided to start a shuttle service to bring visitors from the carpark to the wreck and back in just 10-15 minutes.
At ISK 3000 (USD 22) per person for a round trip it sounds really steep, and this is in Iceland where everything is expensive. I would say it all depends on how much time you have and the weather. As my visit was in November (which is considered as winter in Iceland), days are short (5 hours or less of daylight) and I don’t want to sacrifice precious daylight hiking 2 hours roundtrip to see something.
About the weather. Icelandic weather can change suddenly and it can be very unforgiving. The arctic wind and cold can be dangerous without proper clothing and footwear. Hiking almost 8 km in winter in the winter chill and facing possible strong winds isn’t a pleasant experience and can be fatal. People have literally died of exposure while visiting the plane wreck.
You can book the tickets for the shuttle here in advance. I bought my tickets on the spot and paid by credit card, but in peak season you might want to make an advanced booking in case the shuttle is fully booked during your visit. I would say that hiking to the wreck is a good option in summer months when days are long and the weather is mild.
Beyond the Little Red Dot 
I love the opening photo in your header… it fits with the title of this post and the writing that follows. Beautiful work. I’m a bit obsessed with creating sunbursts, so when I see one I admire, it makes me smile! Also, the drone video that opens your writing is excellent; well done.
Thank you Randall.
Yes, I like to include sunbursts in my photos but its very situational. Usually the sunburst is nice by itself but doesn’t seem to fit in the photo’s composition. I’ll just take 1 photo with and another without sunburst then and decide which is nicer. I’m still a beginner with the drone because then I need to think as a photographer and videographer in deciding what to capture.