Weld repair caused engine failure in highway emergency landing
Friday 23rd October 2026 on 13:31 in
Iceland
A weld repair that blocked an oil passage caused an engine failure that forced a small aircraft to land on Suðurlandsvegur, a highway in South Iceland, in May 2025, mbl.is reports, citing the Transport Accident Investigation Board.
The aircraft was being ferried from the United States to Britain, with several stops along the way for rest and refuelling. The pilot and his dog were on board.
The plane took off from Reykjavík Airport at 10.54pm on May 26 after refuelling. The pilot said he heard no unusual noise and felt no vibration during the climb. At 11.05pm, about 1.6 nautical miles southwest of runway 13 at Sandskeið Airport, the engine failed and the propeller stopped. An oil leak made it difficult to see through the windshield.
A minute later, the pilot glided west at an altitude of 4,100 feet over Sandskeið Airport without noticing its runway, and focused on finding a place to land on the highway. Air traffic control did not inform him that Sandskeið was the nearest airport.
During the landing, the plane’s right wing struck a traffic sign and scraped along the top of a guardrail. It stopped beyond the barrier, near a large yellow sign. Neither the pilot nor his dog was injured. Several motorists stopped and helped move the plane so it would not block the road completely.
The aircraft’s annual inspections were not carried out between 2022 and 2024 because its engine had been removed for inspection and rebuilding. The work involved replacing and reworking several parts and was not completed until 2025.
The investigation found that a weld repair to the engine crankcase had closed an oil passage. This prevented oil from reaching the main bearing through the crankshaft’s oil passage and then the connecting-rod bearing, causing the engine failure.
The board recommended that aviation authorities issue an advisory circular or similar guidance stressing that weld repairs must not damage engine oil passages or other parts of the lubrication system.