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What happened at Mount Erebus in 1979?
On the morning of 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight TE901 left Māngere airport, Auckland, for an 11-hour return sightseeing flight to Antarctica. At 12.49 p.m. NZST, the aircraft crashed into the lower slopes of Mt Erebus killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board.
What was the significant event that occurred at Mt Erebus?
It remains New Zealand’s worst peacetime disaster. On 28 November 1979, a sightseeing aircraft carrying 257 people crashed head-on into the side of a volcano in Antarctica.
How many people died in Erebus crash?
257
Mount Erebus disaster/Number of deaths
How many bodies were recovered from Erebus?
The investigators had recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder, Digital Flight Data Recorder and other instruments, including the cockpit flight panel. The DVI teams had recovered 114 substantially intact bodies, 133 bags of human remains, and countless personal belongings.
What caused Erebus crash?
Mahon inquiry Mahon said the single, dominant, and effective cause of the crash was Air New Zealand’s alteration of the flight plan waypoint coordinates in the ground navigation computer without advising the crew. The new flight plan took the aircraft directly over the mountain, rather than along its flank.
What is the meaning of Erebus?
of darkness
1 : a personification of darkness in Greek mythology. 2 : a place of darkness in the underworld on the way to Hades.
What’s the chances of surviving a plane crash?
Contrary to movie and media portrayals, it is highly possible to survive a plane crash. According to the most recent report on the subject published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the passenger survival rate for plane crashes between 1983 and 2000 was 95.7%.
Who was killed in the Mt Erebus crash?
Mount Erebus air disaster. On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sightseeing flight to the continent. All the 237 passengers and 20 crew on board were killed.
Who was scheduled to climb Mount Erebus in 1979?
Dignitaries including Sir Edmund Hillary had acted as guides on previous flights. Hillary was scheduled to act as the guide for the fatal flight of 28 November 1979, but had to cancel owing to other commitments. His long-time friend and climbing companion, Peter Mulgrew, stood in as guide.
How many people died in the 1979 Erebus Disaster?
This site is the most comprehensive source of information on the 1979 Erebus disaster. It is dedicated to informing others about the plane accident that took the lives of 257 passengers and crew of Air NZ flight TE901. Please take time to browse through this site and learn about the events on 28 November, 1979.
Where was the plane going when it went over Mt Erebus?
The pilots had been briefed with a flight path which was different from the one put into the plane’s computer. The team thought their route was the same as previous flights, going over ice and water in the McMurdo Sound, when in fact the path was going over Ross Island – and the 3,794m volcano Mt Erebus.