Erebus gives ‘replay’ of crash weather

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 1

Erebus gives ‘replay’ of crash weather

NZPA correspondent Scott Base, Antarctica Conditions change rapidly in Antarctica. They did yesterday for the Royal Commission inquiring into the Mount Erebus air crash disaster. With deceptive suddenness, Mount Erebus, which had glistened in cloudless blue skies for 12 days, disappeared in a great '.weather front which seemed to materialise from nowhere. It was a copybook example for Mr Justice Mahon. He allowed everybody with cameras to take pictures of the classic whiteout condition which camouflaged the lower slopes. “A very valuable and fortuitous lesson,” he said ' later. Old hands said it was almost a perfect facsimile of the weather conditions on the day of the crash a year ago. This time, the front came in from the north instead of the south, enabling the base-bound group to observe the phenomena from where it was. The group spent yesterday scouting the lie of the land. The Americans will provide a helicopter for today’s visit to the crash site. His Honour said he hoped a landing could be made at the site, weather permitting.

The number visiting the site has been strictly limited to five, plus an American cameraman who will take film. An Air New Zealand representatve, Mr E. Davies, the director of administration, will deposit the ashes of four victims at the cross on the site. The victims were Miss Philippa' ’Margaret Broad, of Hamilton, whose father was also killed in the .crash but who was not among those identified. Mrs June Davis, a Tasmanian. Mr John Greenleaf Houghton, an American scientist who had been working at Otago University. Mr Russell Morrison Scott, a member of the airline’s'cabin staff. His Honour said the most important part of this visit would be to view the mountain approaches from a slowflying helicopter, and the landmarks to the east in the Cape Tennyson area. The inquiry appears to be putting heavy emphasis on the theory that Captain T. J. Collins and crew mistook the approach of Lewis Bay and Mount Erebus for the clear approach over sea ice to the west of Ross Island. In yesterday’s weather change, all definition between mountain and low cloud disappeared. Only

the odd black outcrop indicated the presence of land — and showed graphically the hazards of low flying when Antarctica turns grey. Air New Zealand’s chief executive, Mr M. R. Davis, will lay a wreath at Auckland’s Waikumete Cemetery today, the first anniversary of the DCJO crash in Antarctica. ? * \. Another wreath will be laid by representatives of the flight and cabin crew members who were among the 257 people killed when Flight 901 crashed on the slopes of Mount Erebus. (Crash anniversary, Page 13)