1951 Glitfaxi plane crash explained

Occurrence Type:Accident
1951 Flugfélag Íslands DC-3 crash
Operator:Flugfélag Íslands
Date:31 January 1951
Type:Air crash
Site:Faxaflói, Iceland
Aircraft Type:Douglas DC-3
Aircraft Name:Glitfaxi
Tail Number:TF-ISG
Origin:Vestmannaeyjar
Destination:Reykjavík
Passengers:17
Crew:3
Fatalities:20
Survivors:0

The 1951 Flugfélag Íslands DC-3 crash (Icelandic: Glitfaxaslysið, "the Glitfaxi accident") was a plane crash that occurred on 31 January 1951 when a Douglas DC-3 from Flugfélag Íslands, christened Glitfaxi, crashed in Faxaflói in Iceland, killing all 20 people aboard.[1] [2] It remains the second deadliest air crash in Iceland behind the 1947 Héðinsfjörður air crash.[3] [4]

The plane was attempting to land at Reykjavík airport during heavy snowfall. Its first attempt to land was aborted due to low visibility. During its second attempt, all contact was lost with the plane.[5] [6] After it became clear that Glitfaxi had disappeared, a search immediately began. The following days, both land, sea and air searches were conducted including by the ICGV Ægir and the herring vessel Fanney that searched the area with depth sounders.[7] While several items belonging to the plane were found in the ocean, the wreck itself was never officially found.[8] [9] [10]

Aircraft

Glitfaxi was built in 1942 in Santa Monica, California, for the United States Air Force. In November 1946, Flugfélag Íslands bought the aircraft from Scottish Aviation which had converted her for passenger flights.[11]

Aftermath

The crash hit the small town of Vestmannaeyjar hard, where the majority of the passengers where from, leaving 50 children in the town without a father.[12] [13]

In popular culture

The accident is featured in the book Hinn hvíti galdur by Ólafur Tryggvason.[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Minningarathöfn um þá sem fórust með flugvélinni Glitfaxa hefst í Dómkirkjunni kl. 2 e.h. í dag . 23 July 2022 . . 24 February 1951 . 1 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  2. News: Enginn á Glitfaxa komst lífs af . 23 July 2022 . . 2 February 1951 . 1–2 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  3. News: Arnar Þór Ingólfsson . Fyrsta banaslysið í flugi frá 2015 . 23 July 2022 . . 12 June 2019 . Icelandic.
  4. News: 392 einstaklingar hafa farist . 23 July 2022 . . 22 October 2002 . 11 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  5. News: Glitfaxi hefir farizt milli Álftaness og Keilisness . 23 July 2022 . . 2 February 1951 . 1–2 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  6. News: Tíu flugvélar og tíu leitarflokkar hófu leitina að Glitfaxa snemma í morgun . 23 July 2022 . . 1 February 1951 . 1 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  7. News: Reynt verður að finna flak Glitfaxa í dag . 23 July 2022 . . 2 February 1951 . 1 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  8. News: Farþegar og flugvjelaráhöfn sem fórst með Glitfaxa . 23 July 2022 . . 24 February 1951 . 1 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  9. News: Gísli Baldur Gíslason . Flugvélin sem hvarf . 23 July 2022 . . 31 January 2011 . 12–13 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  10. News: Björgvin Gunnarsson . Ráðgátan um eitt dularfyllsta flugslys Íslandssögunnar: Kafari fann flak Glitfaxa . 12 February 2023 . Mannlíf . 2 . 10 February 2023 . 10–13 . Icelandic.
  11. News: Arngrímur Sigurðsson . Skúli Jón Sigurðarson . Douglas Dakota - TF-ISG . 23 July 2022 . Æskan . 1 January 1971 . 54 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  12. News: Guðbjörg Sigurgeirsdóttir . Ómar Garðarsson . Glitfaxaslysið snerti alla Íslendinga en hvergi varð höggið þyngra en í Vestmannaeyjum . 23 July 2022 . Eyjafréttir . 10 February 2011 . 9–11 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.
  13. News: Guðrún Gyða Eyþórs Árnadóttir . Fimmtíu börn misstu foreldri í áætlunarflugi frá Vestmannaeyjum -"Veit ekki hvernig þetta verður" . 23 July 2022 . Mannlíf . 5 July 2021 . Icelandic.
  14. News: Steingrímur Sigurðsson . Hinn hvíti galdur . 23 July 2022 . . 2 December 1961 . Icelandic . Tímarit.is.