Instead of trying to land on the narrow Ísafjörður airport with only two wheels down, the captain decided to fly about 230 km to the much larger Keflavík Airport to attempt an emergency landing there. Despite the front part of the engine almost breaking off in the explosion, the plane managed to land in Keflavík with minimal additional damage to the plane.
To avoid risking a potentially disastrous crash at Ísafjörður airport with only one wheel intact, the captain elected to fly 230 km to Keflavík Airport and attempt an emergency landing there.