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Aircraft sinks into ice during landing in Greenland (G-AXWG)

Greenland, GreenlandLanding (descent or approach)

On August 7, 1979, a Britten-Norman Islander (registration G-AXWG) operated by Harvest Air was involved in an aviation accident near Greenland, Greenland during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft broke through the ice and sank due to the lack of structural integrity in the landing area. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine airplane disappeared after making an emergency landing on an icy surface in Greenland, resulting in the loss of the airframe.

What happened

An incident occurred involving a twin engine airplane while attempting to land on an icy region located within Greenland. During the landing phase, the aircraft made contact with an area of unstable ice. The weight and impact of the plane caused the surface to give way, leading the aircraft to break through the ice layer.

Following the breach of the surface, the airplane sank into the frozen terrain. While the event resulted in zero injuries to those on board, the aircraft was not successfully retrieved from the site. The wreckage remains unrecovered following the submersion.

Findings

  • The primary factor in the loss of the airframe was the unstable nature of the icy landing surface, which failed to support the weight of the aircraft upon touchdown.

Probable cause

The aircraft broke through the ice and sank due to the lack of structural integrity in the landing area.

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