What happened
During an approach toward Reykjavik Airport, the flight crew encountered challenging weather conditions. While the aircraft was descending to 500 feet, the captain notified air traffic control that the runway could not be identified and that the approach lights were not visible. Consequently, the decision was made to execute a go-around. The aircraft proceeded to fly a circuit pattern at an altitude of 2,000 feet while waiting for the meteorological conditions to improve.
Shortly after, air traffic control notified the crew that visibility had increased, suggesting a second landing attempt could be made. However, as the aircraft approached the coastline, it became uncontrollable and impacted the sea approximately 16 km from the village of Hafnarfjörður, located south of Reykjavik. Search and rescue operations were launched immediately, though wreckage was not discovered on the water until the following day. The accident resulted in 20 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
Official investigations into the crash did not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the specific reason for the loss of control.