Pages tagged with: erebus

Only one portion of the fuselage of the Air New Zealand DC-10 remained intact on the icy slopes of Mt Erebus.

On 28 November 1979, 237 passengers and 20 crew were killed when Air New Zealand Flight TE901 crashed into the side of Mt Erebus, Antarctica. The tragedy was followed by a demanding recovery operation and a raging debate over who or what was to blame

12 February 2009 marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Penguin, NZ's worst 20th century maritime disaster. The disasters timeline provides a quick overview of our worst natural disasters, transport accidents, fires, mining accidents and other tragedies that have caused major loss of life.

How police responded to the disasters, particularly Tangiwai, Wahine and Erebus

Air New Zealand and Qantas began offering sightseeing flight over the Antarctic in February 1977.

The Erebus disaster was mainly caused by an unfortunate, late change in flight path and the white-out conditions in Antarctica.

How news of the Erebus disaster was relayed back to New Zealand

Family members of Erebus disaster victims were invited to the unveiling of Momentum, a sculpture marking the significant events in Air New Zealand’s history.

The debate over who was to blame for the crash continues today.

Sound file from the memorial service held at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington

Sound extract from the Erebus memorial service at Scott Base on 2 December 1979

After confirmation was received that no one had survived the crash of TE901, expressions of sympathy began to arrive from around the country and around the world.

Resignations and court action followed the Erebus disaster inquiry

Deputy Leader at Scott Base, Ted Robinson, and building services officer, Garth Varcoe making the Erebus memorial cross that was dedicated in December 1979

Initial memorials and memorial services to mark the Erebus disaster

Recognition for contributions to the Erebus Operation Overdue has come in a number of ceremonies since 1980.

Judge Mahon disagreed with Chippindale's 'probable cause' that the pilot was at fault, and cleared the crew of any responsibility for the accident. Instead he laid the blame squarely with Air New Zealand.

Calls for a public inquiry into the Erebus disaster, which had begun shortly after the accident, continued amid the controversy of who received Chippindale's interim report.

Few of those involved in the recovery and identification of victims from the Erebus disaster could have been truly prepared for the task ahead.

On 22 January 1980 a special inquest was opened by the Auckland district coroner, Allan Copeland, into the deaths of the 257 people on board Flight TE901.

As those involved in the recovery operation headed to Antarctica in the immediate aftermath of the Erebus disaster, work was also under way in New Zealand to help identify the victims that they recovered.

Within a few hours investigators had found the flight recorders from Air New Zealand Flight TE901

Keith Woodford, one of three New Zealand mountaineers first to arrive at the crash site, describes the conditions they were met by.

Bob Thomson confirms that there were no survivors of the crash and predicts that it is unlikely that all bodies will be recovered

Much is known of the passengers who made the ill fated Flight TE901 on 28 November 1979

A brochure released by Air New Zealand for the November 1979 Antarctic flights

Footage of an Air New Zealand Antarctic flight filmed one week prior to crash of Flight 901

A brief history of Air New Zealand's flights to Antarctica

On 9 November 1979, Captain Jim Collins and First Officer Greg Cassin, part of the flight crew rostered on the 28 November Antarctic flight, attended a route qualification briefing with Air New Zealand's Route Clearance Unit (RCU)

Bob Thomson describes the wreckage of Flight TE901 on Mt Erebus

Morrie Davis, Air New Zealand’s chief executive, announces that wreckage has been found on Mt Erebus

Reports of the first sighting of wreckage of Flight TE901 on Mt Erebus

Craig Saxon, New Zealand’s public affairs director, announces Erebus flight lost

Hopes for any survivors from Flight TE901 faded as it was announced that the fuel would have run out

Reporting of the overdue flight in New Zealand

This segment shows the memorial service at Scott Base and the erection of a memorial cross near the crash site

This segment also includes material filmed at Christchurch Airport on the evening of the crash, including film of journalists at work, people awaiting passengers from the flight and police operations.

The crash happened so quickly that the crew had no opportunity to react, let alone radio the ground with any sign of distress.

This segment relates to how the work and the people of Scott Base have been affected by the crash, the difficulties of recovering bodies from the site and whether or not they should have been left there

Film relating to the recovery of the Air New Zealand voice recorder and flight recorder from the crash site on Mount Erebus

Interview with Ron Chippendale, Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Office of Air Accidents Investigation

Service on Antarctica marking 25 years since the Erebus disaster

ONE News presents the first film from the remains of the Erebus Disaster in Antarctica.

he Beverley Price memorial track near Puhoehoe

Erebus disaster memorial window in St Stephen's Church, Whangaparaoa.

Memorial plaque and windows in St Matthew in the City Church, Auckland, dedicated to those who died in the Mt Erebus disaster.

Memorial plaque and gardens dedicated to the crew and attendants who died in the Erebus disaster.

The memorial to victims of the Mt Erebus disaster at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland.

Memorial cross on Mount Erebus. The cross is located approximately 3 km south-east of the 1979 crash site.

The 29th of November 1979 was meant to be a day of celebration in Antarctica. It was the 50th anniversary of American explorer and aviator Richard Byrd's historic flight over the South Pole.

Images from the Air New Zealand booklet. 'The Antarctic Experience'.

Cross to the victims of the Erebus disaster erected by recovery workers in Antarctica

Recovery work among the debris of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 on Mt Erebus continued even in terrible weather conditions.

Looking downhill to Lewis Bay sea ice through the wreckage of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 and a maze of body location flags

Crash site of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 on the lower slopes of Mt Erebus – photo taken two days after the crash

Map showing the flight path of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 on 28 November 1979

In this page from Air New Zealand's The Antarctic experience brochure, Mt Erebus – the 'sentinel of McMurdo' – is clearly visible from the DC-10's cockpit.

Tony Taylor, professor of clinical psychology at Victoria University, describes the effects of the disaster on police.

A member of the Erebus recovery team attends to victims' personal effects, which are stored in plastic bags awaiting transportation.

Members of the recovery party stand in front of the wreckage of the Air New Zealand DC-10 on the slopes of Mt Erebus, Antarctica.

John Blumsky reports from Mt Erebus after the disaster.

The recovery operation on Mount Erebus was hampered by the constantly changing weather.

The bodies of the victims of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 were flown by Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules aircraft to Whenuapai Air Base in Auckland.

This police map shows the location of Air New Zealand Flight TE901's crash site on Mt Erebus, Antarctica, in 1979.

Wayne Mowat interviews Superintendent Jim Morgan, 11 March 1988, about the police experience on Erebus.

The wreckage of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 litters the slopes of Mt Erebus.

The tail of the DC-10 airliner remained largely intact and still shows the distinctive Air New Zealand koru symbol.

By the time the second flight carrying bodies from the Erebus disaster crash site arrived on 10 December 1979 the pathology teams tasked with determining cause of death had completed post mortem examinations on the first 114 bodies