What happened
On August 2, 2014, at approximately 18:27, a pilot and one passenger departed Akureyri, Iceland, in a Pitts S-2B, registration TF-TOP, for a planned VFR flight to Múlakot. The aircraft, an aerobatic model, was not equipped with instruments for flight by instruments (IFR) and lacked a GPS. The pilot's original route was intended to pass through Öxnadal and Arnavatnsheiði.
As the flight progressed, the pilot observed thickening clouds in Eyjafjörður and decided to alter the flight path to fly south over the Sprengisandur/Kjöl area to seek better conditions. However, approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, the pilot attempted to turn back toward Akureyri due to deteriorating visibility and the limited endurance of the aircraft. Upon attempting the turn, the pilot found that visibility to the north had also deteriorated, effectively trapping the aircraft in low clouds and poor visibility over the highlands.
Forced to fly at altitudes as low as 200–300 feet, the pilot became disoriented and lost all directional awareness. Unable to establish radio contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) due to lack of radar coverage, the pilot eventually declared an emergency at 19:35, noting that the aircraft had only 55 minutes of fuel remaining. To extend the flight duration, the pilot leaned the fuel mixture, reducing consumption. After navigating by following a glacier edge and eventually a highway near Vík í Mýrdal, the pilot landed at Vík airport at 20:17 with only approximately 2 USG of fuel remaining.
The investigation
The RNSA investigation examined the flight's progression, the weather conditions provided by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, and the aircraft's technical capabilities. The investigation established that the aircraft's compass was unreliable and that the pilot was unable to maintain visual contact with landmarks due to the low cloud ceiling. The investigation also confirmed that the pilot could not reach ATC via radio, a fact noted when a crew in a separate Fokker aircraft acted as a relay.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the pilot's decision to fly in weather conditions that did not meet the requirements for visual flight rules (VFR).
- The pilot was under pressure to reach a scheduled aviation event in Múlakot, which influenced the decision to proceed despite deteriorating weather.
- The aircraft's lack of navigation equipment, including a GPS and a reliable compass, contributed to the loss of situational awareness.
- The pilot's decision to fly south over the highlands, despite knowing weather conditions were expected to worsen, led to the entrapment in low visibility.