What happened
During a delivery mission traveling from Europe to the United States via Greenland and Iceland, a pilot was operating a flight from Reykjavik Airport toward Narsarsuaq. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot notified air traffic control that a portable GPS unit had fallen to the ground and could not be recovered. Because of this loss of navigation equipment, the pilot initiated a diversion to Keflavik Airport.
Less than five minutes after the decision to divert, the aircraft experienced a failure of the right engine while in the descent phase. The pilot did not attempt an engine restart or feather the propeller. As a result of the increased drag and a subsequent drop in airspeed, the aircraft lost altitude and struck the ground near the village of Njarðvík, located approximately 5 km east of Keflavik Airport. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and one serious injury to the pilot.
Findings
- The pilot was unable to continue the flight toward Narsarsuaq due to the loss of a portable GPS unit.
- The failure to feather the propeller following the right engine failure contributed to a loss of airspeed and altitude.