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A minute of silence and a memorial service were held on Saturday afternoon to remember the 257 people who died in the Mt Erebus plane crash.
The November 28, 1979 accident occurred when Air New Zealand Flight 901 flew to Mount Erebus on Ross Island in Antarctica.
It killed all 237 passengers and 20 crew members on board.
LAWRENCE SMITH / Things
A plaque with the names of the Erebus crew members at the Erebus Memorial site near Auckland Airport.
The minute of silence at 1.49pm marked the time the accident occurred at 12.49pm New Zealand Standard Time (1.49pm New Zealand Daylight Time).
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A wreath ceremony, held in the Erebus Crew Memorial Garden near Auckland International Airport, accompanied the minute of silence.
Part of the Air New Zealand plane lies in the snow after the 1979 crash.
E tu union organizer Dayna Townsend said the day marks an event that is forever etched in the memory of New Zealanders.
“Today marks a day when our national airline, the nation and the families of those on board suffered a great tragedy,” he said.
“The Crew Memorial Gardens near Auckland Airport in Māngere are a focal point to remember, and the event is particularly poignant this year as we view the turmoil and thousands of job losses for aviation workers as result of the pandemic “.
LAWRENCE SMITH / Things
E tū union organizer Dayna Townsend said the NZ901’s cabin crew was “doing what they loved.”
Some members of Air NZ’s international cabin crew were unable to reach the monument due to being in Covid-19 isolation, Townsend said, adding that many would likely recognize Erebus’s cabin crew from their hotel room at 1.49 a.m. p.m
Friends and relatives of those who died in the accident found peace in the fact that their loved one did not suffer, he said, as they “did not know what was coming” and would have died instantly.
“They were doing what they loved.”
LAWRENCE SMITH / Things
Stewart Te Tana, who was part of the victim identification team at Auckland Hospital, said some of her colleagues suffered mental trauma following the tragedy.
“Erebus, sadly, is not over for many people,” he said, referring to the controversy with the national monument planned for Dove Myer Robinson Park, also known as Parnell Rose Gardens.
He noted that it had been a year “like no other” for the aviation industry. It had been “shaken” by the Covid-19 pandemic, which highlighted the importance of family, he said.
Stewart Te Tana, who was part of the victim identification team at Auckland Hospital, said she remembers the enormity of the accident every year.
Supplied
A monument honoring the victims of the Erebus disaster has been approved for construction decades after the tragedy.
Te Tana was awarded a New Zealand Special Service Medal (Erebus) for his efforts, which was awarded to those involved in “extremely difficult and very unpleasant, dangerous and extreme circumstances” in connection with the accident, dubbed “Operation Overdue “by police at the time.
He said it was a privilege to leave some flowers on behalf of his colleagues.
Former flight attendant and Labor MP Marja Lubeck spoke on behalf of Transport Minister Michael Wood, who said the Erebus disaster “was an event that changed our nation.”
“All New Zealanders share your pain.”
He thanked E tū for his work to help make workplaces safe.
“We all have a responsibility to put safety first in the workplace.”
Townsend also paid tribute to the five Kiwi aviation workers who died in 2008 when the Air New Zealand A320 crashed off the coast of Perpignan, France.
