Douglas at Sauðanesflugvöllur
THE ABANDONED AIRPORT IN ICELAND
‘Sauðanesflugvöllur’ is a small airstrip in north-east Iceland, near the village of Sauðanes. The airport was eventually closed down and moved to a new site. The airport is particularly famous for the Douglas plane wreck that was located right next to the old runway, which was moved to the other side of the country in 2023.
The small airport had the ICAO code BITH. The ‘Sauðanesflugvöllur’ or ‘Sauðanes Airport’ had a gravel runway for flights to other parts of the country. The airport was also used by military planes, like the red and white Douglas airplanes from the U.S. Navy. The airport closed in 1994.
Douglas
The Douglas R4D-6 is a military transport plane that evolved from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner, commonly referred to as the Dakota. These aircraft were painted red to facilitate search and rescue operations during emergencies on frozen terrains.
On July 25, 1969, this Douglas aircraft suffered irreparable damage in an incident at Sauðanesflugvöllur. Pilot Russell W Sims Jr was transporting supplies and mail from Reykjavík when he encountered unexpected crosswinds during landing. The combination of these winds and a poor runway surface made it difficult for the pilot to maintain control, leading the plane to veer off the runway and damage its landing gear. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported.
The aircraft was constructed in 1944 and originally served the United States Air Force under the designation 41-50187. In 1961, the US Navy assumed control of operations in Iceland, leading to the plane being re-designated as 150187. Following its crash, salvageable components were retrieved, and the wreckage was sold. For many years, it provided shelter for livestock belonging to farmers Ágúst and Steinunn in Sauðanes during inclement weather. In 1996, the wings were taken off.
The big move
After my publication, the airplane at Sauðanes became a tourist attraction, making it challenging for the animals to live peacefully and calmly in the field near the plane wreck. The wreck was sold to farmer Tómas. Today, the Douglas has a new home in the south of Iceland, near Eyvindarholt. Transporting the wreck of the DC-3 plane across Iceland, covering a distance of 716 km, was quite a difficult endeavor because of the narrow roads winding through various terrains. Nevertheless, the task was accomplished successfully, and now the Sauðanes DC-3 wreck can be appreciated once more by visitors in Eyvindarholt.
New Airport
I had the chance to visit the old airport back in 2013 while on my road trip through Iceland. The new local airport, named Þórshafnarflugvöllur is currently located 5 km southwest of Þórshöfn. It features a compact terminal building measuring approximately 12 by 9 meters. In Iceland, domestic airports do not require security checks, and the 19-seat Twin Otter aircraft used here do not necessitate large terminals.
I took these photos in 2012 at Sauðanesflugvöllur and in 2024 in Eyvindarholt. You can visit the wreck for free, but parking is paid.
