The Mount Erebus Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

"On the 28th of November, 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901 took off for a sightseeing tour of the Antarctic with 237 passengers and 20 crew on board..."
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Background
04:01 - The Mount Erebus Disaster
06:24 - The Aftermath
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
► "Magenta" by Sextile
SOURCES:
► "Mount Erebus disaster: The plane crash that changed New Zealand" by Andreas Illmer, published by BBC News, November 2019. Link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia...
► "Erebus Disaster" by The Ministry for Culture and Heritage, published by nzhistory.govt.nz, November 2021. Link: nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/ere...
► "Erebus: The Loss of TE901" by the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association, 2022. Link: www.erebus.co.nz/
► "'The time has come': Ardern apologises for New Zealand's worst air disaster" by Eleanor Ainge Roy, published by The Guardian, November 2019. Link: 'The time has come': Ardern apologises for New Zealand's worst air disaster
​​​​​​​#Documentary​​​​ #History​​​​​​​​​ #TrueStories​

[@TheDarkFalcon]

The eerie thing is that the wreckage is still there, and is still visible. The video is slightly wrong, although covered in snow in the winter months, it's visible during Antarctic summer. The photo shown in the video of the rear section including the door is actually from 2004, decades after the crash. Removing the debris was considered impossible due to the location, so its just been left there.

[@sarahhirshlee]

That is wild! like when there's a shipwreck in the ocean or even in a significant sized River and the wreckage is for whatever reason not removed the environment just kind of adapts it to its surroundings. I'm thinking this the equivalent of a shipwreck in the Antarctic on a mountain. Or am I way off there? is it so cold in that area that even at its warmest it's still too cold/dark to really produce any plant life and whatnot?

[@MoteofVolition]

A unique memorial in some ways.

[@TheStBlaine]

Awesome information. Thank you for clarifying.

[@Hainaa]

That’s how most stories end in the Antarctic unfortunately because of its harsh environment, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser is buried out there to this day and hasn’t been seen since 1958 and so many other buildings and vehicles will permanently remain there

[@sarahhirshlee]

@@MoteofVolition THAT IT IS! A distant while back there was a plane wreck in an area of the Everglades off the coast of Florida where I'm pretty sure there's still some (though at this point minimum) amount of wreckage left. One of the reasons rescue and then recovery attempts were hampered and eventually ended was because of the hazards that the Everglades possess, which are dense in population,. (alligators, anacondas, sharks, barracudas, tropical storms, hurricanes etc). But the family of the victims of the crash had no type of memorial that they felt was suitable so what happened was the United States actually made it a federally protected area of land in the exact spot of the crash where the wreckage still remains, and it's immediate surroundings. Making it, as well, a unique memorial of sorts. 😉

[@Fusilier7]

I once read a book written by one of the air crash investigators, he describes the hectic Antarctic climate, it was freezing cold with constant wind, very seldom was the air just a gentle breeze. Their camping equipment was frequently damaged, and required constant replacement, they had to sleep with blinders on due to the constant sunshine, and the investigators were feeling fatigued and knackered by the hard labour, and trying to live on tin food and sweets. So when they went back to New Zealand, they had to fight hard to make damn sure that the airline was held accountable, they had endured Antarctica, and were determined to expose the truth. If there were heroes in the tragedy of New Zealand Air flight 901, it was the investigation team, they took on Antarctica, then they took on the airline executives.

[@ClintEastwood74]

What was the book called please?

[@Fusilier7]

@@ClintEastwood74 Sure, it's called "Impact Erebus", by Gordon Vette, John David McDonald and Peter Thomas Mahon, it was published in 1983, it might be hard to find, but I recommend this book to anyone looking for information on New Zealand Air flight 901.

[@mark77193]

@@Fusilier7 There's also another book, called "Verdict on Erebus" by Peter Mahon, which covers the second inquiry. It was published in 1984, and is also worth a read.

[@the.internet]

Good posts guys.

[@suzannekirkwood6392]

There is also a movie that portrays the recovery. I think it is simply called Erebus

[@Meddled]

This crash gets under your skin. The fact that some passengers filmed the ice on 8mm cameras or that the recovery crew had to battle seabirds who were eating the remains of the passengers. The wreckage remaining on the ice as well. This one stays with you.

[@dreamsprayanimation]

Nature is seldom wasteful.

[@the_Overture]

@@dreamsprayanimation Especially in Antarctica. I'd imagine that was the most food those birds had ever seen.

[@Sashazur]

Here’s a short clip taken inside the plane before the crash: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6XLmmuHdrCVpdE

[@charlieclark9552]

Man those seagulls are monsters

[@dwjoseph59]

​​@@Sashazur just watched the clip in your link. Man, they looked so peaceful & comfortable. You just never know when it's your time. So sad 😞 😢😭!! #R.I.P. TO THE VICTIMS

[@gingercube688]

So glad a second enquiry was demanded - and that it was done thoroughly to find the truth and exonerate the crew. How awful that they were blamed for this originally when clearly they were not at fault

[@annnee6818]

Must have been terrible for their families. So evil...

[@uglybetty8747]

Ikr it’s so easy to blame the pilots, lazy investigators!

[@funnelvortex7722]

It's a classic corporate coverup. Whenever there is a shipwreck or plane crash, always blame the crew, never blame the execs who sent them out into hostile conditions unprepared or with bad instructions.

[@marhawkman303]

@@funnelvortex7722 Worse here? is if you simply don't fix the error that caused the crash. the crash is because a pre-planned route was changed, and while the original plan was safe, the changes were made by someone who didn't even know what he was doing. The result was largely inevitable.

[@Xpwnxage]

It's a lot easier when you can blame it on the dead. The dead are not going to dispute your findings.

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

My father lost his police partner and best friend in this disaster. He offered Dad his ticket, and Dad declined. Such are events in history altered.

[@Dulcimertunes]

Would you be here if your dad had gone?

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

@@Dulcimertunes Yes

[@icarusbinns3156]

It’s rather like the man that overslept on Sept 11, 2001. He called his boss, apologizing for missing his flight, only to hear the boss say, “Oh thank God.” His flight would be the one to strike the second Tower

[@henrymorgan3982]

It was not his time. Thank God.

[@Sazandora123]

@Milk Zee Piss off with that ACAB-trash.

[@elliottprice6084]

I had no idea that such a small error on the flight path caused this disaster. And why did it take forty years for the families of the victims of the tragedy to get an apology? So sad

[@ripvanwinkle2002]

$$$$$$$$$

[@Annie_Annie__]

Because Air New Zealand didn’t want admission of guilt to affect their sales and possibly open them up to litigation or charges of wrongful death (or whatever the NZ equivalent is) for the bosses at the top. At least that’s why American companies make these decisions and often never apologize for their parts in disasters or accidents. I assume it’s similar in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

[@jasondaveries9716]

My guess is that it took 40 years for the people actually responsible in the company to either die or retire. Only once the whole leadership has turned over are they willing to accept blame. Blame that doesn't apply to them personally, but the previous generation. What scum

[@magdalena_dewinter]

corporations not wanting to admit wrongdoing and taking a hit to their stocks

[@carlmanvers5009]

This was very much part of New Zealand corporate/government culture at the time. Certainly wasn't the only instance of a cover up. The sinking of the Mikail Lermontov leaps to mind, but there were plenty of others. 'Orchestrated litany of lies' was a catch phrase I heard a lot growing up.

[@georgejackson2000]

I'm from New Zealand. Two good friends of my grandparents died in the Mt. Erebus disaster. They ended up adopting their son. I haven't had the chance to talk to him about it, but I can't imagine how awful the whole situation must have been.

[@georgejackson2000]

I think they won the tickets in a raffle or something which makes it even more sad

[@xr6lad]

In 40 years a person your grandparents adopted and you’ve never had the time to speak to them about it???? So a step uncle?

[@georgejackson2000]

@@xr6lad we're not a close family. Once he turned 18 I'm pretty sure he moved far away and didn't come to many family functions. I only just learned about it late last year. I spose you could call him a step uncle, but I think he was only with my grandparents from 15-18 so he never really got that close, moreso stayed as a family friend

[@nampyeon635]

@@xr6lad Doesn't sound like something they would want to talk much about.

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

@@georgejackson2000 How terribly sad for your grandparents. I would think it would be terribly painful to step in and give a bit a home when needed and then have him just move on without much of a backward look at the earliest opportunity.

[@GenXfrom75]

I hate when people in power try to accuse the pilots when it clearly was not their doing. 💔

[@DrumWild]

It's what people in power do. That's the ONLY value they bring to society.

[@cynthiatolman326]

They're usually dead and make such an easy target.

[@eadweard.]

Power is the opposite of victim. And victim is the opposite of bad.

[@UCCLdIk6R5ECGtaGm7oqO-TQ]

It's convenient when they can't argue back.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

It's unfortunate that doing so doesn't get them a seat on death row.

[@tedsmith6137]

As a ground engineer, I had serviced ZK-NZP several times at Sydney Airport. Learning of the crash was like losing an acquaintance.

[@beenhog6922]

Thats so cool dude. I was a scout sniper force recon seal ranger

[@Akon1998hell]

@@beenhog6922 💀💀💀💀

[@moteroargentino7944]

@@beenhog6922 SEALs and Rangers are literally different branches. You can't be both at the same time. I know you're being sarcastic but at least the original comment makes sense. Be more creative.

[@Y0JA]

@@beenhog6922 dafuq? 🙄

[@mcgovemj]

@@beenhog6922 Tell me you don’t know what a tail number is without telling me you don’t know what a tail number is.

[@Kiwi-Macca]

One of the saddest aspects of the story is that, as it was a popular sightseeing flight, many people were bought tickets by family members. Grandparents bought tickets for graduating grandchildren, adult children bought tickets for their parents anniversaries. My own boyfriend at the time was one of seven travel agents bumped off the flight due to overbooking. Following the events at home together that night was a night I’ll never forget.

[@AlisoViejoMan]

Whoever at Air Zealand or Quantas who came up with this idea should have gone to prison. Aviation like 50 years ago going to fly over Antarctica is just not a good idea

[@anunspokenlegend1747]

In Greek mythology, Erebus is a primordial deity and the personification of darkness. He had 2 "children", Aether and Hemera who were the personification of the bright upper sky and the Day, respectively. It is fairly eerie and interesting how each of these personifications played a factor in this disaster. While not physically dark, the crew were in the dark about altered flight plans bringing them to the mountain. The bright sky and daylight making the mountain imperceptible to the pilots. Preventing them from correcting their path.

[@lbb1298]

the mountain is also named after a boat of the same name- the hms erebus which, along with the hms terror, disappeared while searching for the northwest passage c. 1848 with all crew ultimately dying. it was named by james clark ross in 1841, just 4 years before before the ships, which he had been using on this antarctic expedition, set out for the arctic on their final voyage. among ross’s companions was francis crozier, who captained the hms terror to her fate. there is also a mount terror nearby!

[@Annie_Annie__]

The constant daylight of summer also allowed the recovery work to go on 24 hours a day. Erebus gave the recovery workers reprieve from the darkness to recover the remains of the victims, one might say.

[@dragomilosevic4823]

Yup theirs even a level on the doom video game called erebus so it must of been a spooky inspiration

[@ZGryphon]

@@dragomilosevic4823 I suspect that's just a coincidence - _Doom_ is set on Mars, where there are both a crater and a mountain range called Erebus (named after the same exploration vessel as the Antarctic mountain).

[@dragomilosevic4823]

@@ZGryphon yeah you're right im sure I had heard of another real place with the name erebus. I was little suprised though seeing the level mt erebus on doom though due to the name connection to my country, out of all the names they could of chosen lol. Known how edgy the doom creators were for the time they could of chosen it especially for its eery connection who knows

[@FruityFruitbat]

One of the victims was a doctor at the hospital where my mum worked as a medical transcriptionist. As she was watching this, she was telling me how she went into work the day after it happened, and everyone was talking about what happened to him and how horrible it was.

[@martoantoniuk]

So the corporation or the people that lied and tried to cover up faced zero repercussions in the end? Aside from losing a plane, which they would probable had insured, so lost nothing?

[@BornIn1500]

@@martoantoniuk Going by your own poor logic, most of the people probably had life insurance, so their family lost nothing?

[@SImrobert2001]

@@BornIn1500 There's a SIGNIFIGANT difference between humans and a material object.

[@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347]

Nah, never happened. Stop it.

[@weightedtraininggear]

@@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347 why lie about something this mundane

[@drealynne4256]

I appreciate you using meters & feet and Celsius & fahrenheit. Not all KZbinrs do that but it's definitely appreciated 😊

[@resnonverba137]

The consequences of seemingly small errors can be both fascinating and terrifying. RIP to all on board.

[@Valizan]

One of the creepiest things about this crash is that someone on the plane, snapping away taking pictures of Antarctica on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, caught pictures AS THE PLANE CRASHED. Horrifying and sad.

[@danielayers]

This is true. The photo was developed (no digital cameras back then!) and shows oil splattered over the outside of the window just at the instant of the crash. Creepy.

[@Sashazur]

There’s also a film of people in the plane: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6XLmmuHdrCVpdE

[@cam5816]

Where is this photo??

[@lcmortensen]

@@cam5816 If you really want to see it [NSFW, obviously]: miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1026/0*Yr5hC3y5JE3Rxyfu.jpg

[@REXXSEVEN]

@@Sashazur The content was so poor that they had to turn the comments off.

[@suicunetobigaara]

My step-grandfather's first wife died on this flight. Her name was June Davis, a Citizen of Tasmania, Australia. Capt. Dick (my step-grandfather) had been all around the world and had many stories to tell, yet June didn't. So they bought her this trip and Dick didn't join her, so she would have an adventure and story to tell their friends that were just her own. This story has been passed down from my family and it was a great tragedy. It is interesting to see the details behind this disaster, but also incredibly sad.

[@letsbereal9455]

Rest In Peace, June Davis. Very sad story for her and all those who lost their lives and for their many traumatized loved ones.

[@seafoodpizza]

Sad to hear that. What a tragedy

[@GoogleTrendingTopics]

That is so sad! He thought he was doing something kind and then this tragedy happened. Do you know if he struggles with self-blame over that? Such a heartbreaking turn of events.

[@ASCUMBAGWh0re]

Some reezon i just don't believe you. Coulda eazly lookt that up and just added your touch ta it. Ain nobody fooin me! Proof evidnce

[@suicunetobigaara]

@@ASCUMBAGWh0re I am not putting evidence that could identify me or anyone else in my family on the internet. Your reply is valid, I didn't show much proof and could have googled it. You don't have to believe me, and I don't care if you do or don't.

[@johnstirling6597]

The brother of a good friend of mine was on the flight, we grew up together and he visited me at university a couple of months earlier. If anyone should not have been on the flight it was him, he was gifted the flight but mislaid the ticket on the day and had to rush back home to find it and just made the flight. More than 40 years ago and I sometimes think of all that time he didn't get.

[@skylined5534]

That's awful, he probably felt so lucky he'd found the ticket ☹️

[@martoantoniuk]

So the corporation or the people that lied and tried to cover up faced zero repercussions in the end? Aside from losing a plane, which they would probable had insured, so lost nothing?

[@aiccorp6001]

my Ex's father was also on this flight. I think he was 11 years old when his Dad died. It still makes me so sad for him.

[@magdalena_dewinter]

@@aiccorp6001 our country is so small that everyone knows someone who was effected by it. it truly was a country wide tragedy:(

[@skylined5534]

@@martoantoniuk There was a guy who said he used to do maintenance on that very plane in Aus, said he felt like he'd lost a close acquaintance on hearing of the crash.

[@davidci]

There's always something distressing about disasters and deaths in extremely high altitudes. The fact you physically can't bring them back down because of too much effort, money, and time, plus unnecessarily risking more lives too. So you're just stuck with having them remain there, from this wreckage still visible there, to the numerous bodies on Mt. Everest.

[@TheDarkOneIsRising]

Still think it's less tragic then crashing or sinking in the middle of the sea... Always felt somehow eerily frightening to me to end up in the bottom of the ocean

[@davidci]

@@TheDarkOneIsRising I mean, yeah, it's much more impossible to bring someone or something back from under the ocean, but at least it's not visible and tantalizingly close but so far from being saved than on top of mountains. The bodies on Mt. Everest are not only visible, they're literally used as guides and markers for those climbing it.

[@moteroargentino7944]

A bit it's true, for some people maybe more. But at least you have some closure. The worst thing that could happen to anyone is not knowing what happened to their loved ones.

[@hihi-nm3uy]

Yes, precisely. Another reason i despise everest climbing

[@dimitrageorgiadi5087]

@@davidci Mt Erebus. Not Everest

[@Molkatoftime]

Thank you for going into detail about the recovery of the victims of these accidents. It’s something I am always wondering and other creators rarely discuss that “morbid” detail. It’s important to recognize the hard and traumatic work recovery workers do

[@friibird]

Agreed. There's a lot of work, industry, and career fields around first response, death care, disaster cleanup, all these morbid things. I personally do want to hear about all the people showing up to do the work that cleans, restores, recovers, and I want to hear about the limitations of these works (like high altitude recovery often being a no-go).

[@rhondaarnesen6684]

My grandfather did recovery missions for aircraft wreckage in the Army Air Corps, before the US Air Force was created. The stories he had...horrific, to say the least. His job was to recover the black box, since survivors were rare.

[@suzannekirkwood6392]

There is a movie ' Erebus' about this flight and the recovery

[@patrickvolk7031]

It's something you really have to disconnect from. It's meat, burnt, and sometimes too recognizable. One of the comments from the recovery workers there was the grease from the corpses which stuck with me. A place crash is very violent act, and the body and the plane cannot handle the force. There was a 737 accident outside of Pittsburgh, and the cockpit was 20 feet deep in the ground. It's not really possible to do a full recovery of everybody, they may have to sift through dirt and use metal detectors to find a ring to identify somebody. A fragment of jaw, or a body part with a tattoo on it. If I recall there was like 7 coffins full of unidentified parts. I worked with a lot of people from the airport, and those who responded (it was a chilling day for everybody in the area). They closed the highways in case someone was alive (and maybe to keep people from going there, I know two who were on that flight, and it was one my brothers regularly took). Lots of stories going around. Sure they scraped the burnt ground off, and buried it somewhere.

[@Rambo-John-J]

@@patrickvolk7031agreed , I watched the movie about the recovery and just like you said these poor guys had the grease on them that really stuck with me too. At the end of the film I watched they brought the guys in for a big bath , that must have felt wonderful .

[@marvindebot3264]

Oh so much fail and none of it on the pilots who bore the blame for far too long. The US Antarctic Division people did an incredible job of the recovery work under hellish circumstances. These were scientists and mechanics, not trained rescue personnel and it was not a nice sight (I've seen photos) and the weather went from crappy to abysmal during the days they were out there. The people involved on the ground in Antarctica went above and beyond and deserve thanks for their efforts.

[@joehoy9242]

The assistance given by the US personnel during the recovery operation was exemplary, but I feel I have to point out that the recovery work itself was carried out primarily by a small team of New Zealand police. That said, the US people did provide the photographers who stayed on the mountain with the NZ police, and they ended up helping out in all ways as well.

[@letsbereal9455]

@@joehoy9242 Yes, that's what I heard too: the New Zealand police were absolute heroes doing the recovery.

[@Teddyclaws]

Jim Collins failed to check his position at the NDB at the mouth of the Sound, a serious omission. If he had checked, he would have realized he was off course. Then, he could hear another plane communicating by radio with the airfield but could not contact the airfield himself, a dead giveaway that there was a mountain in the way. A passenger familiar with the terrain came to the cockpit to say they had passed an island on the wrong side. Finally and most importantly, it is a very strict rule of aviation that you never let down below safe cruising altitude if you are unsure of your position. The cockpit voice recorder made it very clear that the crew were unsure of their position, but Collins descended below safe cruising altitude. A good pilot never trust the computer navigation. He checks and double-checks. The cause of the crash was Jim Collins' slack attitude to regulations.Collins killed all those people.

[@andreabenz1199]

My dad wanted to take my mom on a honeymoon flight for this thankfully he couldn't afford the flight thank you for the video as always done respectful and beautifully

[@moteroargentino7944]

@Phawnix Quite sure you wouldn't say that if it was your own parents, right? She's not saying she's relieved they didn't take a plane, she's relieved they didn't take THAT particular plane.

[@christopherweise438]

@Phawnix - If they had taken this particular flight she wouldn't even exist to write that. I'm sure that is her point. 🙄

[@skylined5534]

@Phawnix Face 'pam'.

[@Transilvanian90]

@@moteroargentino7944 She just says "for this", which is vague as it doesn't refer to whether it's this exact flight on 28 November 1979, or a general Antarctica sightseeing tour.

[@moteroargentino7944]

@@Transilvanian90 May not be as lucky as losing the doomed flight at the last minute, and since they never bought the tickets, they can't know if they really dodged the crash. But the sole fact that they had the intention to take it, is enough to be glad they didn't, because the risk was higher than any other flight.

[@dx1450]

I saw another video on this crash, and they showed pictures taken by one of the passengers which were recovered from a camera found at the scene. The last picture was apparently taken exactly at the moment of the crash, as oil from the engine or some other fluid had splattered on the window the passenger was taking a picture out of. It's chilling to think that that picture was taken right as everyone died.

[@cydia2020]

For those who wants to know more about the accident: RNZ has a great podcast on this named "White Silence", it goes into great details about the waypoint error, the investigation, the scandals, and the royal commission.

[@loganjohnston89]

Amazing video! This still remains my nation's deadliest disaster and with what transpired following attempts at a corporate Watergate-like cover-up, the smearing of the experienced pilots was something simply unseen in New Zealand till then. Justice Peter Mahon's phrase "an orchestrated litany of lies" is for many the reason people can still remember it or know of it. The disaster also in-part ended the romance of air travel with Air NZ's successful publicity campaign “Nobody Does It Better” being withdrawn after that tragic day.

[@tumslucks9781]

'Nobody does it better' is better than Korean Airlines publicity campaign during the shoot down of KAL 007 in 1983: 'Our flights not only seem shorter, they are shorter'. The campaign was quickly pulled.

[@DaveSCameron]

Respect to our kiwi family 🇬🇧☀️

[@DaveSCameron]

@@tumslucks9781 😂😂

[@sarahhirshlee]

So as I was reading your comment I was thinking there's no way a plane crash is New Zealand's deadliest disaster. I figured it'd have to be an earthquake or something up on those lines. So headed over to Google and you are correct. It beat out the Hawke's Bay earthquake in 1931 by 1 soul. While doing the research for this comment I realized my perception of New Zealand has been inaccurate. I'm looking forward to taking the time to learn more about your country, its people, and its history. Much love from Missouri, USA💛

[@sarahhirshlee]

@@tumslucks9781 the way you present your comment, I'm sitting over here scratching my head trying to figure out if you're pulling my leg or if it is legit.😆😆😆 (And yes, I'm aware, im not the sharpest tool in the shed. At least not at 6:43am😆😆😆😬)

[@Gb_cole]

A friend of mine lost both of his parents in this terrible crash when he was 15. About 7 years ago he told us at a gathering on his birthday that here was now the same ages as his dad was when the accident happened, it definitely brought the whole mood down for the rest of the night. My grandparents were going to be on this flight but canceled a few days before hand for a reason now lost to time. The world is an unreal place

[@ethanleroux5697]

Imagine waiting 40 years for someone to apologize for conspiring to cover up the wrongful death of your loved one.

[@letsbereal9455]

Yes, and the family of the pilot -- his widow and four daughters - suffered tremendously as a result.

[@brendanhayward7577]

Big business has a lot to answer for.

[@Rambo-John-J]

Awful , should get life in prison

[@Sparkbomber]

How nice to know the airline tried to blame it on the pilots from the getgo. Disgusting, but oh so common.

[@fotorabia]

There was also a managed character assassination of Justice Mahon after his enquiry exposed the rot in Air NZ.

[@Teddyclaws]

Jim Collins failed to check his position at the NDB at the mouth of the Sound, a serious omission. If he had checked, he would have realized he was off course. Then, he could hear another plane communicating by radio with the airfield but could not contact the airfield himself, a dead giveaway that there was a mountain in the way. A passenger familiar with the terrain came to the cockpit to say they had passed an island on the wrong side. Finally and most importantly, it is a very strict rule of aviation that you never let down below safe cruising altitude if you are unsure of your position. The cockpit voice recorder made it very clear that the crew were unsure of their position, but Collins descended below safe cruising altitude. A good pilot never trust the computer navigation. He checks and double-checks. The cause of the crash was Jim Collins' slack attitude to regulations.Collins killed all those people.

[@SAOS451316]

Mount Erebus is actually a very interesting volcano. It has one of the few active permanent lava lakes on the planet and the vast differences in temperature cause unique ice formations. It's also only ever been climbed a couple times and is truly a more impressive feat than tourists desecrating Chomolungma by climbing it.

[@stevenschnepp576]

White savior detected.

[@robertthomson1587]

I took a Qantas Antarctic scenic flight in February this year. It was an absolutely fantastic trip. The plane circled around Mt Erebus twice and we got stunning views. Unsurprisingly the onboard commentary made no mention of the Air NZ flight. However, I'm sure I wasn't the only person on board who was thinking of those passengers and crew who were killed.

[@xand5090]

Probably because the crew didn't want to upset the passengers?

[@classicmicroscopy9398]

It is sadly typical for big businesses to kill hundreds of people and show extreme reluctance to so much as issue an apology let alone take any actions of real value.

[@ethribin4188]

To be fair, they have to. As it would be a huge loss if they accept their fault,but turns out its not tgeir fault or not fully. Just how hungry people are less likely to share food then well fed people. And prople with to much food, who would have to give away more total resources to share an equivalent percentage, and more reluctant to.

[@classicmicroscopy9398]

@@ethribin4188 To be fair, the only intelligible thing you said was 'to be fair'.

[@randybaumery5090]

It's because people are Greedy by nature. It's why everyone wants me to "lend them money". Rarely do they offer it.

[@seandelap8587]

No such thing as a minor error when it comes to aviation any sort of mishap can lead to devastating consequences.

[@Coolcarting]

There are many minor errors when it comes to aviation that do not lead to devastating consequences.

[@moteroargentino7944]

@Cool Carting Such as...?

[@Coolcarting]

@@moteroargentino7944 Most minor errors made in flight fall under the category of slips and lapses. This usually involves things like entering the wrong ATC frequency, or forgetting to select the correct radio for transmitting, so that the pilot sends out a call on the wrong frequency. Embarrassing, but most often quickly corrected. The wrong altitude can be selected on the altitude select, and the aircraft flies through the altitude they were cleared to. Again, usually no issue as the error is quickly caught and corrected, but can be more serious. Sometimes the wrong switch is selected or a switch is missed so that perhaps the landing lights are not turned on when they are supposed to, or the landing lights are turned on when they meant to turn on the brake de-ice. Usually caught and corrected quickly. There are of course an exhaustive list of potential errors such as this, but you get the idea. Planning errors are sometimes more significant. Missing some significant weather, not noticing a NOTAM, miscalculating the weight and balance, or the fuel burn. These can be more significant, but again are usually caught and corrected early, or result in some kind of diversion inflight.

[@moteroargentino7944]

@@Coolcarting Thanks for the detailed reply. You're right, such occurrences, while undesired and usually quickly corrected, are statistically bound to happen. Still, it should not be normalized, as one does never know what chain of seemingly harmless and unrelated events could stack up together into a serious situation.

[@Teddyclaws]

The pilot, Collins, made numerous errors. Jim Collins failed to check his position at the NDB at the mouth of the Sound, a serious omission. If he had checked, he would have realized he was off course. Then, he could hear another plane communicating by radio with the airfield but could not contact the airfield himself, a dead giveaway that there was a mountain in the way. A passenger familiar with the terrain came to the cockpit to say they had passed an island on the wrong side. Finally and most importantly, it is a very strict rule of aviation that you never let down below safe cruising altitude if you are unsure of your position. The cockpit voice recorder made it very clear that the crew were unsure of their position, but Collins descended below safe cruising altitude. A good pilot never trust the computer navigation. He checks and double-checks. The cause of the crash was Jim Collins' slack attitude to regulations.Collins killed all those people.

[@timmy841212]

There is actually a recorded clip of this flight prior to the crash. It’s very eerie. No one on that plane knew it was their last flight. 😢

[@tedsmith6137]

I have seen footage taken inside the cabin at the moment of impact. In the last couple of frames, you can see the people and loose objects start to be thrown forward.

[@timmy841212]

@@tedsmith6137 😦 Wow!

[@doxie444]

So worth looking into the documentaries on it

[@_kaleido]

@@tedsmith6137 hopefully they didn’t realize what was happening :(

[@bretthewitt3890]

The footage was on KZbin. It may have been removed. It is very eerie to watch these folks moving about the cabin oblivious to the event to shortly take place.

[@my12spoonswithrose43]

I can still remember lying in bed listening to non existent updates for the whole night as they were trying to find the plane. When I finally heard it had been found, I couldn't work out why my mum was so upset. That night I found out some work mates of hers were meant to be on it. It later transpired they changed their flights. This is the first time I can ever remember exactly where I was when the news came. I was only a child when it happened, but its one thing I've never forgotten. At that time I never knew how bad it was there, I believed everything I was told, it was only when I got older that I realised what had happened & what lies we as a country had been told. 30 years was much to long for much to long for the pathetic apology they got from Air NZ. There were & still are very few kiwis of my age that were in the country at the time, that didn't know what the saying "an orchestrated litany of lies" referred to & who Justice Mahon was. He wasn't very popular, but he didn't care as he was there to find out the truth. What you didn't mention is how things went missing prior to the enquiry. There were so many dramas over the enquiry via the courts that went on for years. Even today this is still argued about & some still insist it was the fault of the pilot even though he's been posthumous awarded the ONZM (Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit), in the 2007 Queens Birthday Honors. Not long after, Air NZ stopped flying there, Qantas flew for a few years before they stopped. In the mid 1990s the started flying again, but it was at a reduced rate. I'm not sure if anyone still goes down there but I would love to fly there.

[@carlmanvers5009]

Yeah. 'Orchestrated litany of lies'. That became a real catch phrase. I was only a kid back then as well, but I remember everything about this. It was a rare glimpse into an adult world that totally contrasted to the kind of innocent, safe bubble being a kid in New Zealand was in the 70's.

[@battyrae1398]

man this is one that still sits heavy in the public consciousness here in nz. my dad always has this look in his eye when he talks about it. an utterly shocking tragedy.

[@barbaralamson7450]

I was stunned by the cover up by Air New Zealand. It actually got me so angry when I first heard about it. The poor survivors. That's what gets me.

[@TheKidd98]

it crazy how many stories like this from New Zealand I've never heard of despite living here my whole life 😳 amazing job !

[@bobboris3528]

How could you not know about erebus? Theres been lots of drama recently about the memorial. Im 35, at school we learned all about this, tangiwai, wahine and several other smaller tragedies. Then whilst still at school the likes of cave creek happened. This channel covers several of those disasters

[@DaveSCameron]

You and me both despite my living in England 🇬🇧📚

[@doxie444]

I was six months old living in N Z. At the time. Fascinating documentaries on it.

[@juliaconnell]

really? though I suppose it depends on circumstances. I was 8 at the time - don't remember it at the time, only knew about it later because my dad had a book about it. it's understandable, though disappointing, that these trips no longer happen - I would have loved to have gone on one.

[@carlmanvers5009]

They don't teach this in schools. Recently in New Zealand there has been a big push to control history lessons and rewrite the books. Most young people I know have never heard of Erebus. But my college library had several books on this disaster, and a few other New Zealand stories they don't teach anymore.

[@cindys.9688]

Human error ... but not by the pilots who were actually flying the plane. Other humans who messed with the data prior to the actual flight.😕 Scary stuff right there.

[@doxie444]

They went to allot of trouble to cover that up. Really interesting to look in too

[@moteroargentino7944]

Exactly, human error is the most common cause of crashes, but that doesn't necessarily means pilots. It's often a chain of mistakes of which the pilot's are the final nail in the coffin. And sometimes they do everything right but the plane is doomed before take off. Not to mention poor maintenance that accounts for a big chunk of the remaining crashes, often directly related to airlines financial problems.

[@darreng745]

@@moteroargentino7944 That is why air safety revolves around cockpit management practices to minimise the risks to the plane should a pilot make a poor choice, but that can not guard against ATC, poor maintenance, and my personal choice of bad weather conditions. Here you had pilots who were given insufficient knowledge of local weather conditions, armed with faulty navigation data and then told to fly into an environment that is the most hostile on Earth when even the slightest malfunction could prove to be dangerous ranging to fatal. It is actually a surprise that ANZ did not have the crash sooner when you factor in the flights down McMurdo Sound, but since the flight crews did not question that approach route to Mount Erebus it indicates to some degree that there were issues within the ANZ flight crews reporting structure and also some residual deference towards management.

[@Teddyclaws]

The pilot had many opportunities to realize he wasn't where he thought he was. He ignored them all. He was to blame.

[@Teddyclaws]

Jim Collins failed to check his position at the NDB at the mouth of the Sound, a serious omission. If he had checked, he would have realized he was off course. Then, he could hear another plane communicating by radio with the airfield but could not contact the airfield himself, a dead giveaway that there was a mountain in the way. A passenger familiar with the terrain came to the cockpit to say they had passed an island on the wrong side. Finally and most importantly, it is a very strict rule of aviation that you never let down below safe cruising altitude if you are unsure of your position. The cockpit voice recorder made it very clear that the crew were unsure of their position, but Collins descended below safe cruising altitude. A good pilot never trust the computer navigation. He checks and double-checks. The cause of the crash was Jim Collins' slack attitude to regulations.Collins killed all those people.

[@kmprowler]

I lost track of time and stayed up way too late and got gifted this video! Love your stuff :)

[@benji274]

I remember reading that Sir Edmund Hillary was supposed to be on this flight as a guide, but was subbed out beforehand

[@Rogerw1nz]

True. The guide on the flight was Peter Mulgrew, a friend of Ed Hillary’s. Sir Edmund later married Peter Mulgrew’s widow.

[@facelessidiot6407]

Jeez that would've been horrible if he actually stayed on! First time I'm hearing of this, thank you for that.

[@crelgen1588]

@@Rogerw1nz I.. don't know how I feel about that.

[@cjthebeesknees]

@@Rogerw1nz what a piece of sht move, always comes from those you trust, every time.

[@trevormillar1576]

If Hilary had had second thoughts, I for one do not blame him. .

[@Hornbyhenry]

It really was a national tragedy much the caliber of Tangiwai or the Wahine, what an awful way to go. Well done on the video

[@connorcore7008]

OOh yes, I think a video on the Wahine would be an excellent choice for this channel

[@FM-hw8yv]

Can i ask what both of these are?

[@Hornbyhenry]

@@FM-hw8yv Tangiwai and Wahine? The Tangiwai disaster was a rail crash which killed 151 in 1953 when a bridge was destroyed by a lahar. The Wahine disaster was the sinking of the TEV Wahine which was lost in a storm in 1968, killing 53.

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

@@Hornbyhenry a lahar is a flood of water, dirt, and debris right?

[@Hornbyhenry]

@@PatricioGarcia1973 Correct, more specifically volcanic in origin

[@NewThinkful]

I'm familiar with a lot of air crashes and disasters, but this is the first I'm hearing of this one. Thank you for all your videos.

[@doxie444]

Look further into it. SO much more to this story.

[@billy2182]

Yes, I was Today years old when I first heard of this.

[@adamhickey396]

Never heard about this until now. Quite unnerving how the wreckage is still there on the side of Mount Erebus and that, perhaps one day in the distant future, explorers might well stumble upon it again.

[@SkunkApe407]

You do realize this isn't the only plane crash, right? It isn't really that unnerving.

[@PixelTrain1]

@@SkunkApe407 wtf do you mean?

[@jaylockwood5030]

how could you have never heard of this?

[@Queen-of-Swords]

Recovering the bodies was an awful enough experience, it's no wonder the plane was left there. Teams worked 24-7 in all conditions, they camped on site, and almost ran out of food when helicopters with supplies couldn't reach them due to bad weather. There were bodies trapped in ravines, and birds eating the corpses. I believe they often had to throw the corpses in a pile and try to cover them as best they could to stop the gulls eating them. Also that their gloves became very nasty from jet fuel and flesh. The men who performed this task had really bad PTSD from it. They are true heroes. Being British I did not know of this until a couple of years ago. There is actually a LOT of information online about it, including a feature length film about the trial. The judge that headed the inquiry took a real pummelling for basically saying Air New Zealand had lied and tried to cover up the truth. In effect, the inquiry ruined his career.

[@sarahhirshlee]

THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING TOO!!! Except mine's more like what will the next world war look like? (because I think we could easily wipe ourselves, and/or marine and plant life, off the planet) so I was thinking could the wreckage with stand the direct effects of a nuclear bomb and radiation, not to mention the environmental impacts of a nuclear war, and I'm pretty confident with saying the answer would be yes. To think that, unfortunately, it's possible also in the distant future that we may have (though inadvertently) effectively erased our planet's ecosystems and ourselves from it, and as earth starts to heal its self, evolution starts all over again and that plane will be there every step of the way... to no doubt, one day we rediscovered and become a (now mysterious) legend in its own all over again... THAT IS WILD! On a semi-related side note, I think I have too much time on my hands at the moment. 😬🤪😆

[@DandyLion662a]

Your explanation of what went wrong and how it was discovered is possibly your finest yet. Hats off for such intelligent research and your knack of explaining complex cases so concisely.

[@nightowldickson]

The images at 2:50 is taken from film footage shot by passengers onboard the actual accident flight. The full video can be found on youtube titled 'Air NZ flight TE901 before it crashed into Mt Erebus'. Viewers discretion is advised. There are also some controversies around what happened to the pilot's ring binder (containing flight notes) and airline as well as government involvement in post-accident cover-up. The video is titled: 'Erebus 901 - The Secret Files'

[@e28forever30]

Indeed, I expected it to be mentioned in this video.

[@davidcox3076]

I've read of this disaster. The recovery efforts were incredible. The workers were exposed to everything the video stated. They also had to contend with grease coating their equipment, which was created from burned bodies. The small bottles of alcohol recovered from the plane were shared out to help numb the horrors. New Zealand later authorized a medal to award the team and those supporting them, essentially equating the operation with a military campaign. God bless them all for what they did.

[@orbitboi63]

We still remember this to this day. It shook us as a nation. R.I.P

[@FinnishLapphund]

I had heard about this accident before, but I'm glad I still watched your video, because you still managed to make it interesting all the way to the end. Scary that the company could get away with their lies for so long.

[@monsterman7721]

Salute to that crew who had to recover the bodies can't imagine how hard it must have been dealing with the weather and seeing the site of the bodies.

[@kentslocum]

The video didn't state this specifically, so I'm trying to make sure I understand what actually happened. The flights were originally planned to fly over the volcano at (presumably) a safe altitude, but due to a transcription error, all flights actually flew over open water instead. Thus, the pilots got used to flying low over the water, with approval from the airline. When the error was detected and the route corrected, the pilots were not informed of the change, and they assumed they would fly low over water as usual Instead, they flew low into the volcano.

[@littlebear274]

That's correct. Due to the whiteout conditions they had no idea the mountain was right in front of them until immediately before they flew straight into the side of it.

[@cra83]

I was living/working at Scott Base on the 40th anniversary of the crash and met some of the police officers that came to recover the bodies, some were only teenagers at the time… must’ve been horrendous for them

[@Regun3x]

Drunk at 5 AM in the US. Thank you for the work you do, sir. 💪

[@RosiaMarz]

Happy Tuesday, my guy! Lol

[@aidanlevangie2927]

Get after it my man

[@cocoono11]

Goals? 😂

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

I’m not going to join in on the encouragement. 5:00am?? Not great is it 😢

[@sipioc]

Cheers

[@sopyleecrypt6899]

This crash cast a long shadow. Still Aotearoa’s worst air disaster, it is very well remembered by many. The green koru livery on the DC10’s tail lying in the snow is an iconic image.

[@xand5090]

There's only been one fatal ANZ crash since, so Air NZ's safety record is still one of the safest

[@benji274]

I don’t think Air New Zealand has run another Antarctic flight since, and it would be 15 years before Qantas attempted it again

[@danw4237]

Even longer. The next sightseeing flight wouldn't be carried out by Qantas until 2013.

[@andyjay729]

@@danw4237 Do they still run them? PS: As for Antarctic-themed movies, I'm guessing they wouldn't show "The Thing"...

[@caffienatedtactician]

Imagine not just being heinously evil enough to try and lie to the public about a plane crash, but also having such an immense lack of common sense as to try and lie about publicly available information. People like this really are something else Great video, as always!

[@Teddyclaws]

Jim Collins failed to check his position at the NDB at the mouth of the Sound, a serious omission. If he had checked, he would have realized he was off course. Then, he could hear another plane communicating by radio with the airfield but could not contact the airfield himself, a dead giveaway that there was a mountain in the way. A passenger familiar with the terrain came to the cockpit to say they had passed an island on the wrong side. Finally and most importantly, it is a very strict rule of aviation that you never let down below safe cruising altitude if you are unsure of your position. The cockpit voice recorder made it very clear that the crew were unsure of their position, but Collins descended below safe cruising altitude. A good pilot never trust the computer navigation. He checks and double-checks. The cause of the crash was Jim Collins' slack attitude to regulations.Collins killed all those people.

[@danieleyre8913]

Imagine being Robert Muldoon.

[@jmartin1885]

We love your style man! Facts, dates, explanations, without any sensationalism in your voice at all! The perfect diplomat to present these horrible events in the manner you do, is a rare and unique gift amongst the hundreds of millions of videos here on KZbin.. Have you ever thought of releasing a book? Sincerely, John, Doncaster

[@moonwolfv671]

Nice seeing this one covered. I'm from New Zealand too.

[@andrewstevenson118]

My dad was part of a Lion's group (charity-type men's group) who held a raffle where the prize was... a trip for two on this flight. I was only eight at the time but remember the updates on the news from "overdue" to "fuel gone" to "crash site found."

[@rask004]

Thank you for this video! I would love to see a video examining the collapse of the CTV building during the Christchurch 2011 quake, or the explosion of the Pike River Mine and the following investigation.

[@jarlbreadmaker]

Very much so, still remember learning of both, there are people responsible who have not had justice served to them in both cases.

[@BBCharger5spd]

My father was in the U.S. Navy stationed at McMurdo during this time and was on the Crash Crew (Fireman) and was on the initial search/rescue flights as well as the initial landings for the recovery effort. He doesn't speak much about it aside from generalities and saying it was "too much for a 20 year old kid to be exposed to". I do have some pictures he took while he was there of the crash site - lots of red and green flags (They were used to mark bodies and body parts). He was recently (2017) contacted by the New Zealand government and presented a medal for his efforts.

[@andrzejwitowiak1353]

Hi, a constructive criticism, whenever displaying a map with orientation of North not towards top it is always good to provide geographical indicator where the North points on your map. It makes it so much easier to orient yourself when viewing. Beside that love your content

[@roobtube5788]

To be fair any time you see the antarctic continent next to a landmass the landmass is north of Antarctica so in this case it's not really needed

[@andrzejwitowiak1353]

@@roobtube5788 I agree, just still looks strange without orienting the N ;)

[@tcg1_qc]

every direction in Antartica is North, it's useless to put indicators as they would all say N

[@themischief420]

@@tcg1_qc that literally doesn't make sense lmfaooooo

[@doxie444]

😂😂😂😂

[@susanellis7780]

Heart goes out to the families and rescuers RIP ❤️🙂

[@warrenpenlington1412]

My friend's father was part of the search and rescue team that went down to Erebus to recover the bodies, he was never the same after that.

[@3dburger]

It creeps me out that the wreckage will probably still be there after tens of thousands of years, preserved in the ice

[@Catherinzsl]

Amazing how many Kiwis are up late watching this video! Grim and gory fact: Because some of the bodies were frozen solid in various positions, they had to have special larger body bags made and flown in for retrieval. People like this 🤸‍♂️ instead of like this🧍‍♂️

[@violetzebras]

This one sent me down a rabbit hole a couple of years ago. So horrifying. I have major respect for the men who worked tirelessly to recover the bodies of the victims.

[@uncommonsense8193]

I love how certain people say there's no such thing as "The Butterfly Effect."

[@denisegore1884]

So many New Zealanders knew someone who either was on the flight or should have been but changed their plans. I remember hearing on the radio that the flight was overdue and had probably run out of fuel. The next day we saw those terrible pictures. It's New Zealand's second worst disaster after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. By the way, Justice Mahon's surname is pronounced Marn.

[@scifisyko]

It’s always so draining watching these and having the end result be “none of the malfeasance from rich/powerful people was meaningfully punished.”

[@MegaAstroFan18]

That map of New Zealand and Antarctica is weird. I mean, I know it's not strictly wrong, how one orients things in space has lots of variables and subjectivity to it, but still it's weird to see.

[@mattthrun-nowicki8641]

The way you state it, it sounds like the pilot on 11/14/79 (Leslie Simpson) noticed the route was somehow incorrect and told his superiors to fix it…that’s not what happened. He noticed a larger than expected cross-track difference between the McMurdo TACAN (a military navigational aid) and the plotted route after he’d eyeballed a map prior to his flight. His goal in alerting the executive pilot in question (Ross Johnson) was to prevent a needless INS recalibration, which he felt would waste time on a route that’s already pushed to the max in terms of a DC-10’s range capabilities. Ross Johnson’s internal statement to the airline in early Dec ‘79 attested to this, but he subsequently changed his story TWICE during the Royal Commission to suggest that Simpson told him the route itself was “in error.” Why does this matter? Because Air NZ’s case revolved around claiming ignorance that shifting the route several hours before the ill-fated flight would result in a 27-ish mile track change. This was their stated justification for not making sure they alerted the pilots to this track change. But this, like many other aspects of the airline testimony, was a lie. The Erebus Disaster is one of the few airline crashes I’ve come across where superficial accounts obscure the level of malevolence involved in the case. In other words, in most cases, what superficially appears to be conspiratorial or sinister becomes less so on deeper inspection…but not with this crash.

[@tsp6147]

That's interesting - Thank you.

[@robinfautley8698]

Hi Matt, There are two books coming out shortly on Erebus, by Paul Litterick and the other by Joey Sheehan. Keep an eye out for them and half my book is devoted to Erebus. But it relies on the place Erebus has in accident investigation with emphasis on Chippindale and TAIC. My book will be called “Erebus and the Dragonfly” - ie ZK- AFB mystery as associated with my KZbin posting re rare film Brian Chadwick. Have you come across @Teddyclaws. A new name for a Doctor RD who now wishes to become anonymous. Her flying instructor said that a passenger saw Beaufort Island on the wrong side and went up to the cockpit to warn the flight crew. A CVR transcriber was informed by me but there was nothing recorded about any pax warning. Kia kaha

[@fastlane458mag]

Fascinating horror I have watched every single video of yours and have enjoyed them all. I look for your notifications more than any other on KZbin. Thank you for the entertainment that you provide. I do think there are some shorts that I have probably missed.

[@Yikes702]

The only one I can NOT watch is "The Nutty Putty Caves," but I've seen all the other videos.

[@fastlane458mag]

@@Yikes702 I'm sorry, do you mean you don't want to or that it won't let you watch?

[@Yikes702]

@@fastlane458mag I don't want to watch it. I am terribly claustrophobic. I know the story. It's very sad, disturbing, tragic and frightening.

[@fastlane458mag]

@@Yikes702 I understand completely. The ones where they get trapped in caves for extended amounts of time and the hope that you know they're holding on to for Rescue is heartbreaking

[@seandelap8587]

Air New Zealand wss a disgrace for its callous disregard for the victims here but unfortunately its just one of many where this has been the case.

[@slowhoon]

Yup and we the New Zealand tax payers bail them out time and again.

[@opwave79]

I have great admiration for pilots. It’s tragic that a series of errors led the two to fly into the mountain, then they were initially blamed due to their “inexperience”. They may not have flown that route before, but they still knew how to tly and they trusted that the flight data was accurate. it’s always the executives that put rank and file in danger.

[@Teddyclaws]

Jim Collins failed to check his position at the NDB at the mouth of the Sound, a serious omission. If he had checked, he would have realized he was off course. Then, he could hear another plane communicating by radio with the airfield but could not contact the airfield himself, a dead giveaway that there was a mountain in the way. A passenger familiar with the terrain came to the cockpit to say they had passed an island on the wrong side. Finally and most importantly, it is a very strict rule of aviation that you never let down below safe cruising altitude if you are unsure of your position. The cockpit voice recorder made it very clear that the crew were unsure of their position, but Collins descended below safe cruising altitude. A good pilot never trust the computer navigation. He checks and double-checks. The cause of the crash was Jim Collins' slack attitude to regulations.Collins killed all those people.

[@tsp6147]

@@Teddyclaws Those are interesting points - I also found it strange that both pilots on the flight , had never flown the route before.I have a friend who flies executive jets and I remember him telling me that the following day he was flying a famous golfer into a course in Switzerland.It was apparently a very steep and challenging approach and (having never done it) he was to fly with a pilot , familiar with that airfield.That was how it would be for a few landings/take-offs (at least with his company)..I got the impression that my friend would not have flown to that airfield with two pilots unfamiliar with the approach etc...

[@my12spoonswithrose43]

There is an amazing video about this & how the people who had to get the bodies, lived, worked & coped during their time on the mountain. It was very fascinating, I found it on here many years ago.

[@LKA-si7ln]

Do you know the title or name of the channel? I’d like to watch.

[@steve3291]

The loss was a disaster which could have been put down to a mistake, although the change should have been briefed. However, what happened afterwards at Air New Zealand was a disgrace.

[@Rickbone1055]

Thank you always for putting subtitles on your videos. It makes it 1000x easier to absorb the information when i read it while listening.

[@trevormillar1576]

Land of Scott Shackleton & Byrd? The fact that only Byrd came back alive would give me at least second thoughts.

[@andyjay729]

"I am just going outside and may be some time..."

[@JBofBrisbane]

@@andyjay729 Titus (?) Oates.

[@trevormillar1576]

@@andyjay729 "Quick, let's pick up the tent and run for it!" "Yes, if I have to listen to any more of his racist jokes, who cares how many Lithuanians it takes to change a light bulb, I'm going to SCREAM!" "AND his lying Boer War stories!" "And the farting, the farting. Oh God the FARTING!" (Five minutes later) "Come back with the tent you BASTARDS!"

[@katherynedarrah4245]

How do you manage to fit so much information in the videos that are under 20 minutes?!

[@Ella-hy9xh]

Oh, this one is so sad. The in-flight photos. The remaining wreckage. The salvage. All, so sad, and ironically in such a beautiful vista.

[@katzenauge2698]

I regularly read the comments under the videos. I am surprised every time how many writers can still contribute a personal piece of the puzzle to the individual tragedies. It makes the magnitude of these tragedies even more tangible.

[@CandGoods]

The on-board movies were Antarctica-themed, but John Carpenter's "The Thing" doesn't exist yet

[@hopsiepike]

The appeal of this flight route is undeniable. The scenery flying over the heart of Greenland on a clear, sunny day was jaw-dropping, as was seeing daybreak over the Faeroe Islands. Nothing compares to polar landscapes.

[@TheParanormalPolynesian]

Another fantastic video sir. Thanks for all you do! 👻🍍

[@twistoffate4791]

Thank you for taking us on yet another journey. This will be an unforgettable one, at least for me. I appreciate your work.

[@kylefraser7492]

My grandad's good mate was killed onboard. He wasn't even meant to be on it but went onboard after a family member gifted the ticket to him.

[@crelgen1588]

That poor family member:( Hopefully they did not blame themselve.

[@Nemacyst117]

@@crelgen1588 that's what I was thinking. There's no way they could have known or be logically held responsible but it must still have hit them hard for their well meaning gift to backfire so horribly.

[@crelgen1588]

@@Nemacyst117 exactly! So very horrible:( I can't imagine how excruciating those moments of dreading, then getting those news must have been for all of them, but especially that one person. So sorry for your granddad's loss as well OP!

[@Belette6763]

Another great video! Thank you for adding subtitles!!

[@patriciacompton7368]

One of my friends lost his parents on this flight. I read a book published in NZ about this tragedy. Among the personal items recovered were some cameras from which they were able to develop the film. Some of those photographs showed jet fuel splashing back along the windows. Whoever took those photos did so in the rear of the plane right as the front of the plane was impacting Mr. Erebus. No one on that plane had any idea that they were flying into the mountain until just seconds before impact.

[@molly9582]

Not to be pedantic, but they didn’t even have seconds; from all I’ve read, absolutely no one on board would have had time to realize anything was wrong before they were, sadly, dead. I know the fuel on the window photograph you’ve spoken of and it’s very eerie. I only bring this up because I imagine it would be a small comfort to know that none of them suffered psychologically. It’s basically the equivalent of the people on the first plane on 9/11 with the forces on the human body involved, and how quickly it happened.

[@VoteZombie2012]

I ever mention that Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week? Keep up the excellent work, speaking of history and learning from the past💙

[@joanfrellburg4901]

It's always refreshing to focus on another disaster instead of living with so many current ones being a major annoyance.

[@doxie444]

I was six months old living in Wellington N.Z at the time of this disaster. Although I don't remember it, I felt haunted by this tragedy., I looked deeper into what ever information I could find about it. I was so shocked, esp. With Air New Zealand. There's more to the conspiracy, the first searchers down there, found evidence that "went missing"total cover up. Well worth looking more into this if you like this kind of thing. Sad for the 44 that were never found, and the people that had to recover the remains.

[@UnpopularName]

While your videos about building collapses strange events like the molasses flood or balloonfest and "crushes" are some of my favorite content from this channel, this is one of the best videos so far due to the simplicity of the entire event from start to finish and including the aftermath. Textbook FH. Love to hate seeing the governments being caught red handed trying to cover up the true causes. Props to the Justice Peter for the thorough investigation.

[@LaiaBertran]

Thank you for another video. Please never change your intro/outro music, is perfectly chosen for the style of your channel. Wishing you the best to arrive to 1M soon.

[@TillyOrifice]

An excellent short analysis that nails all the crucial points. Good stuff.

[@sdraper2011]

I had no idea there were active volcanoes on Antarctica! I always learn new things from your videos. Excellent narration, as always.

[@juanpablosaenz9037]

I just watch Erebus Operation Overdue and I was in tears by the end...the people that risked their lives recovering the bodies to send them to their loved ones in New Zealand are true heroes. I salute their bravery and their heart and I pray to God that they could overcome the hellish things they saw up there.

[@tiadaid]

The worst part is that they were left to fend for themselves after they returned from Mount Erebus. No doubt they had suffered PTSD and other debilitating psychological ailments because of that, but because counseling was non existent, they had to suck it up.

[@juliaconnell]

*thank you* for such an interesting yet respectful coverage of this national (& international) tragedy.

[@GIJOEFAN-ys8gp]

With how many accidents there are involving DC-10’s, this aircraft deserves its own video. Everything from its operational history to the accidents themselves and the plane’s reputation.

[@cr10001]

Erebus is possibly the only DC-10 accident that was in no way the fault of the plane. But, following the Paris crash and the Chicago crash, the DC-10 was already under something of a cloud, so initial theories in the hours after the plane went missing tended to focus on cargo doors or engines coming off or the like. It was only after the wreckage was found that they faded out. Still, shortly after that, Air New Zealand found it expedient to replace their DC-10's with 747's, officially because the 747 was a 'better fit' for their operations but I don't think anybody believed that.

[@ay8967]

Been waiting for this!

[@bilbomalice2643]

I have a copy of the front page of The Christchurch Press Newspaper featuring the news of the disaster, it's not an exact one but it is still somewhat old

[@Ebanatoyk]

An excellent summary of this disaster that is clear and easy to understand. 👍

[@deenasmusicbox]

Fantastic video!! I have watched several versions of the Mt. Erebus flight and still found this one to be interesting to watch.