What happened
On 5 August 2013, an air ambulance operated by Mýflug was performing a series of flights in Iceland. The mission began with a positioning flight from Akureyri (BIAR) to Höfn (BIHN), followed by an ambulance flight from BIHN to Reykjavík Airport (BIRK). The crew, which included a commander, a co-pilot, and a paramedic, completed the initial legs of the journey without incident. After landing at BIRK, the aircraft was refueled and prepared for the final leg back to Akureyri.
During the flight from BIRK to BIAR, the aircraft was cruising at FL 170. While in flight, the crew discussed a deviation from the original flight plan to fly over a nearby racetrack area. Upon approaching Akureyri, the crew transitioned from IFR to VFR flight rules. After passing the KN locator, the crew requested permission from the Akureyri tower to overfly the town. The tower granted this request but noted that a Fokker 50 was preparing for departure on runway 01, prompting the crew of TF-MYX to indicate they would remain west of the airfield.
As the aircraft type/model approached the racetrack, the altitude was approximately 800 feet MSL. Although the co-pilot suggested increasing altitude due to being low, the aircraft was only momentarily raised to 1000 feet. While maneuvering near the racetrack, the aircraft entered a steep left turn, which caused the altitude to decay until the aircraft struck the racetrack area.
Findings
- The flight crew requested a deviation from the planned route to observe a racetrack event.
- The aircraft was operating at a low altitude of approximately 800 to 1000 feet MSL during the maneuver.
- The accident occurred during a steep turn that resulted in a loss of altitude.