1979-11-28
Air New Zealand
Flight TE901
Departure
Auckland International Airport, Auckland, New Zealand
Destination
Auckland International Airport, Auckland, New Zealand
Causation Breakdown
Recurrence Likelihood Today
Very Low
GPWS and EGPWS (Enhanced GPWS with terrain databases) are now mandatory on all commercial aircraft and provide advance warning of terrain proximity regardless of visibility. Flight plan change procedures now require crew acknowledgment.
Summary
Air New Zealand's scenic DC-10 sightseeing flight over Antarctica crashed into Mount Erebus after ground staff silently changed the navigation coordinates to route the aircraft over the mountain. In whiteout conditions, the crew had no visual warning. All 257 aboard perished. Justice Peter Mahon's inquiry famously concluded Air New Zealand had engaged in an 'orchestrated litany of lies' in covering up the navigation change.
Cause & Investigation
Determined cause
Controlled flight into terrain — navigation error
The flight coordinates were silently corrected the night before departure, placing the sightseeing route directly over Mount Erebus rather than McMurdo Sound. The crew was unaware of the change. Combined with sector whiteout conditions creating visual illusions over the featureless white terrain, the crew believed they were over open water when they struck the volcano at 1,465 feet altitude.
Investigation body
New Zealand Office of Air Accidents Investigation.
Timeline & Safety Improvements
Flight TE901 disaster
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 operating for Air New Zealand. 257 fatalities, 0 survivors.
Formal investigation opened
Conducted by: New Zealand Office of Air Accidents Investigation.
Cause determined: Controlled flight into terrain — navigation error
The flight coordinates were silently corrected the night before departure, placing the sightseeing route directly over Mount Erebus rather than McMurdo Sound. The crew was unaware of the change. Combined with sector whiteout conditions creating visual illusions over the featureless white terrain, the crew believed they were over open water when they struck the volcano at 1,465 feet altitude.
Improvement implemented
Strict protocols for communicating and documenting any changes to pre-filed flight plans were implemented.
Improvement implemented
Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS) became mandatory on commercial aircraft worldwide.
Improvement implemented
Antarctic sightseeing flights were prohibited by Air New Zealand and later regulated more broadly.
Improvement implemented
Crew briefing requirements for route-specific hazards and terrain awareness were strengthened.