The Legacy Of Erebus - Thirty Years On

This Saturday will mark the 30th anniversary of Air New Zealand Flight TE901's crash into Mount Erebus on Antarctica.

I will forever remember what I was doing the night of November 28th, 1979. During the school week, I lived with my late grandmother in South Dunedin. Wednesday, the night of the crash, was housie night for my grandmother. I was being babysat that night by my uncle and, as was my usual practise at the time, I went to bed about 7pm and listened to the radio.

My grandmother came home about 10pm. At that hour, news was beginning to filter in about a missing Air New Zealand sightseeing flight that had not returned from Antarctia. From my bedroom next door to the lounge, I could hear the dulcet tones of newsreader Philip Sherry telling the nation the increasingly dreadful news on television. At about that time, Air New Zealand had confirmed that one of their DC 10s had gone missing. An American military search and rescue team found the wreckage at about that same time and later bulletins confirmed the worst.

The next morning was one of the most sombre in our peacetime history. A roll call of the 257 dead was read on Radio New Zealand commercial stations at just after 7am on Thursday, November 29th. I remember getting ready to attend school while listening to it and I remember my uncle and grandmother listening to it in silence. Later that day, special editions of our major daily and evening newspapers appeared. That night, both television channel's news bulletins showed the first film of the mass of debris that had come down on Mount Erebus the day before. The black trail that represented the remains of the aircraft was an awful sight to see. Most of the passengers and crew were doomed to remain entombed in the ice that covers Erebus. This was the case as only about 60 or so bodies were extracted from the wreckage and returned to New Zealand. They were buried in a mass grave in Auckland in February 1980.

One of the most enduring photographic images of that night was that of the airline's chief executive Morrie Davis. He was pictured in a famous newspaper photograph inside the airline board room just after a news conference with hands clasped against his face and looking distraught. Davis knew that the search for answers would centre on the activities of his airline and its staff. A June 1980 report from air accident investigator Ron Chippindale largely exonerated the airline and instead blamed pilot error. The public was dumbfounded by the accusation that two of the airline's most experienced pilots, flight captain Jim Collins and co-pilot Greg Cassin could have gotten things so wrong.

Due to pressure from the pilot's families, victim's relatives and the public, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was appointed in 1980 with Judge Peter Mahon as sole commissioner. The Mahon Commission exonerated the pilots and found that Air New Zealand had programmed the wrong flight path into cockpit computers. White out conditions around Erebus, which created pilot confusion, were also blamed. The airline's management was criticised by Mahon for devising an "orchestrated litany of lies" about the crash. This marked one of the most deliberate acts of corporate sabotage in New Zealand history. In order to extricate themselves, Air New Zealand appealed Mahon's findings to the Court of Appeal and won. But not before Mahon counter-attacked by going to the Privy Council. However, he lost there as the law lords ruled that Mahon had gone beyond his original terms of reference in criticising the airline in the way he did.

Overall, Air New Zealand's demonstrated a 'sweep it under the carpet' mentality during the whole time following the crash. The Muldoon National Government and the airline did not do anything to compensate the victim's families. What is most shocking of all is that it wasn't until nearly the 20th anniversary in 1999 that the Royal Commission's Report was formally tabled in Parliament.

Since that time, Air New Zealand have taken some commendable steps to make amends. However, these steps have not been enough. About two months ago, current chief executive Rob Fyfe explicitly apologised to the families of those who perished for the airline's unsupportive attitude, both at the time of the crash and afterwards. Fyfe also unveilled a memorial at the airline's corporate offices in Auckland and undertook to subsidise six places for family members who will travel to Antarctica this weekend for the commemorations.

While an apology was long overdue, the recent actions of the airline in not wanting to take anymore than six people to Mount Erebus has been shocking. They still don't get it. Every excuse has been made by the airline and Antartica New Zealand that it would be too dangerous to take so many people to the crash site. Various risks that have been cited include those of possible blizzards, transport issues, etc, etc.

Really, I don't think that every family member who wanted to travel to Antarctica would have wished to stand atop Mount Erebus itself. Many would have been pleased enough to go to Scott Base which is close enough to the crash site for a few days in order to be close enough to the last resting place of their loved ones. I concede that it would not have been possible to have taken a single representative of every family member down there given the sheer numbers. What could have been done is that, say, a group of 100 or so family representatives could have gone south for the commemorations, been billeted at the various bases down there or, if that was not suitable, be given the chance to fly close to the sight on a day flight. A slightly larger group of say 10-15 survivors could have been airlifted to the sight for Sunday's commemorative service on the mountain. But as it stands, six will go.

On Saturday as well, I think that the Government should have declared a National Day of Commemoration with services around the country and a moment of silence at 11am. While this is the 30th anniversary, it is likely that many of those who were closest to the actual victims will not be around to witness the 40th or 50th anniversaries. Now, with at least some semblance of an apology from the airline, this might have been the right time to have held a significant commemoration.

Despite that, on Saturday, we will all remember where we were when we heard the tragic news. Also we should think of the loved ones left behind.

Above all, to the 257 souls who now rest on Erebus, requiescat in peace (rest in peace). We haven't forgotten you.

Note 1: May I congratulate Christchurch businessman Mike Pero for his efforts in organising a chartered flight for Erebus families in January. I think that Air New Zealand's response to this private effort has been appalling. I really wish they could show more compassion towards the victim's families. However, as of late Thursday afternoon (November 26th) media reports are indicating that Pero has now put this gesture on hold.

Note 2: For those who are interested, there are some excellent website resources on the disaster. The best and most recent addition to these is the Erebus plane crash disaster story site. This has been created by the New Zealand Airline Pilots Association as a resource.

Bookmark/Search this post with: