Bob Thomson, superintendent of the Antarctic Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, describes the crash scene on Mt Erebus and the difficulties in getting people to the site.
Transcript
News announcer: Bob Thomson, the head of the Antarctic Division of the DSIR, describes the crash scene
Bob Thomson: From the air it appears to have scattered over two or three hundred yards. It is really on the opposite side to an aircraft that would presumably have been approaching McMurdo Sound. The ridge itself is at about 7000 ft so it would have had to have gained altitude very quickly to have got over the ridge and then it would've in fact have been on the wrong side of Ross Island. What I'm assuming is that they were making their descent and may have gotten disorientated or may have mistaken Mt Terror for instance for Mt Erebus and came in on the wrong side of it.
Interviewer: How accessible is this for rescue helicopters?
Bob Thomson: Well rescue helicopters alright, but there's a very difficult place to get people in. A ground party for instance would have great difficulty in reaching the spot. You'd need mountaineering stuff to sort of get in there. It's a pretty rugged area.
Part of: Hearing the news
Audio: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Reference: 1587
Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.
Image: Bob Thomson, superintendent of the Antarctic Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, commentating during a scenic flight to Antarctica a week before the disaster. Still shot from Erebus Disaster: Lookout (TVNZ).
