Drone Crashes Into Icelandic Volcano Capturing Its Own Incredible Demise

There are few videos I have clicked on faster than a drone filming itself crashing into a volcano in Iceland. This video shows a DJI first-person view drone as it records the rivers of lava flowing out of Fagradalsfjall before plummeting into a fiery death, all in glorious 4K.

If there's one thing I really appreciate about some photographers and videographers, it's that they're not precious with their gear. To get the truly incredible, singular shots, sometimes you have to put yourself and your equipment on the line and that is exactly what happened here.

Fagradalsfjall is a volcano located just 25 miles from Reykjavik, Iceland. In December 2019, a series of earthquakes hit the area which concerned locals and experts, indicating that an eruption may be on the horizon. In March 2021, the earthquakes were coming thick and fast, with over 40,000 tremors recorded by seismographs. At 8:45pm on 19th March 2021, the eruption started, which is the first to happen in 800 years. Fagradalsfjall is said to have been dormant for closer to 6,000 years. This terrifying but fascinating event attracted locals, tourists, and photographers to see the giant fissures of lava.

However, some took the opportunity differently to others. Joey Helms, a photographer and videographer, took his DJI FPV drone and flew over the winding flows of golden death, but then a little too close to one of the fissures. This saw a quick death for the drone, but the footage lives on and gives us, quite possibly, the first view of its kind.

Rob Baggs's picture

Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

Log in or register to post comments
4 Comments

But how could it be in 4K if he really lost the Drone? 😉
Spoiler, it can't. It's just for the clicks.

4K is just saved to the SD that he shouldn't have when the drone crashed into the Volcano.

He "wasted" (great footage!) a worn out drone. Still he wanted to know and he got to know and gave up quite some money. It looks real. The 4k-question is valid though, I think. An answer would be easy, so why not simply give it?

I don't know much about drones. But, is there no way that 4K footage couldn't have been transmitted somehow?