2022 Þingvallavatn plane crash

The 1977 Cessna 172N registered TF-ABB took off from Reykjavík Airport at 10:38 on the morning of the 3rd of February 2022. The flight plan indicated a two-hour sightseeing flight. Footage from security cameras from summerhouses near Þingvallavatn showed the plane about an hour later doing what appeared to be an attempted landing or touch-and-go on the southern part of Þingvallavatn which was at the time covered in thin ice. The plane hit the ice and sank.[4] No distress call came from the plane and the plane's emergency transmitter did not send any messages. 112, the emergency line, did however receive a few-second call at 11:51 which later turned out to be from the phone of one of the passengers.[5] When the plane did not arrive back at Reykjavík Airport at the right time the plane was reported missing. The search operation that followed was the biggest of a missing plane in Iceland in over 40 years or ever since TF-ROM went missing in May 1981.[6] Over 1000 members of the Icelandic Search and Rescue teams, along with an Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter and a Danish Air Force plane took part in the search.[7][8] The plane was found on the 5th of February at a depth of 48 meters and 800 meters away from land at the bottom of Ölfusvatnsvík in the southern part of Þingvallavatn but there was no sight of the men inside the plane. On the 6th of February, a remote-controlled submarine found the bodies of all four men in a 300-meter radius around the plane.[9][10][11] It is believed that the men escaped from the plane but succumb to the ice-cold water.[12]

Bad weather delayed rescue operations for a few days. An extensive rescue operation was commenced on the 10th of February including the Icelandic Police and their special unit, the fire brigade, the coast guard, and search and rescue teams to get the bodies and the plane out of the water. After a boat could break the ice covering the water, the 4 bodies of the men were pulled out of the water. Due to the bad winter conditions, a remote-controlled submarine with a grip arm was used to get the bodies.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] On the 11th of February, attempts to get the plane out of the water were postponed indefinitely due to conditions worsening in the water and the dangers it posed for the divers.[20][21]

Preparation to get the plane began again in April when the ice melted on the water.[22] On the 22nd of April, the plane was pulled out of the water.[23]

In the preliminary report from the Safety Investigation Authority of Iceland (Icelandic: Rannsóknarnefnd Samgönguslysa) on the accident it was reported that the plane flew for around 7 seconds at a very low altitude over the water before it landed in it.[24] [25]

The pilot was Haraldur Diego, chairman of AOPA Iceland and a pioneer in airplane photography tours in Iceland.[8][26][27][28] The three passengers were from a group of ten people that were in Iceland to participate in an advertising campaign for the Belgian clothing line Suspicious Antwerp.[29][30][31] Among the passengers was skateboarder and YouTuber Josh Neuman.[32][33][34][35][36][37]

On the 12th of April 2022, Haraldur's 50th birthday, a memorial service was held with candles being lit and floated on Þingvallavatn.[38]