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Mount Erebus Research Paper

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The Mount Erebus Disaster
On the 28th of November in 1979, the Air New Zealand DC10 flight 901 crashed into the side of Mount Erebus in Ross Island, Antarctica, resulting in the instant death of all on board. The crash became “widely regarded as New Zealand’s worst air accident.”

One of the most memorable photos from the aftermath of the Mt Erebus plane crash showing the Koru symbol of Air New Zealand planes.

What happened?
On the 28th of November 1979, Air New Zealand flight 901 took off from Auckland airport. It was taking 237 excited passengers on the 11 hour long sight seeing flight of a lifetime to see one of the most incredible natural places on earth - Antarctica. The plane would fly through McMurdo Sound to show the passengers …show more content…

“-Where’s Erebus in relation to us at the moment -Left about (twenty)or (twenty) file miles -Left do you reckon -WellI don’t know---I think I’ve been looking for it -Yep Yep -I think it’ll be erh -I’m just thinking of any high ground in the area that’s all -I think it’ll be left yes -Yes I reckon about here Yes---no no I don’t really know”

“This map shows the flight path of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 on 28 November 1979 (solid red line) before it crashed into the lower slopes of Mt Erebus. The dashed line on the left shows the flight path the crew probably thought they were on.”

The Mahon Report Shortly after Chippendale’s findings were released, public demand forced a Royal Commission of Inquiry to begin, conducted by Justice Peter Mahon. During the Inquiry, witnesses such as Air New Zealand staff, the CAD, members of the pilots families and Ron Chippendale were called to give evidence. With thousands of pages of evidence Mahon disagreed with the Chippendale findings and concluded that there were ten ultimate causes of the crash. Although he believed that every

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