Who Is To Blame For Flight 901

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Description: On November 28, 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into Ross Island’s active volcano, Mt Erebus, Antarctica. The flight was mid sightseeing tour when it crashed, killing all on board. At 12:50pm communication with the flight was officially lost, and at 10pm, the airline was forced to assume the flight was lost. All 237 passengers died along with the 20 crew members. Significance: The Mt Erebus crash was, and still is, significant for a multitude of reasons. Flight 901’s crash was (at the time) the 4th largest air disaster in history, and the mystery behind the crash’s cause resulted in controversy and theories to this day. The Mt Erebus crash was quick to capture global attention as the news of the crash spread. Of the 237 passengers, and 20 crew members, there were no survivors. A recovery mission was soon underway, …show more content…

The size of this crash makes the event a significant moment in New Zealand history. As there were no survivors, investigations quickly became highly controversial and theories were debated. As the investigations went underway it quickly became certain that there was no mechanical reason for the crash. This held significance as a the reason could no longer be proven with black and white evidence but rather pointing fingers at whoever could be at fault. For years after the crash the blame was pinned on pilot error as neither of the pilots had flown the path before, though both had a vast experience flying. The significance of the mystery behind the crash is visible to this day in debates over where the blame is due. Some argue it is the fault of the airline systems that allowed the plane to be programmed in the flight path on Mt Erebus, whilst others blame McCurdo station for giving Flight 901 permission to fly low, thus putting it in the path of the mountain. The Mt Erebus disaster is especially significant in New Zealand as Air New Zealand and

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