Air NZ & Erebus
As framer has said, the change to an INS coordinate made by AirNZ navigation staff was one factor which contributed to the loss of the DC10 and all on board. Descending below the area MSA whilst believing to be visual, but in fact being in "white out" conditions, was just as much to blame. Having flown into the nearby McMurdo Base a number of times in the previous summer (1978),and having been thoroughly briefed beforehand an the perils of "white out", we maintained a regular sked with McMurdo en-route. If the trend was favouring a "white out" happening we would return to Christchurch before PNR. Incidentally, the McMurdo Rescue Crews were fearful of an accident involving a sight-seeing polar flight. They knew that even if the impact was survived they did not have the resources to conduct a rescue of such magnitude, especially as most on those flights would have been in light clothing and would quickly succumb to the extreme low temperature.