Impact Erebus

Rights Information
Year
1983
Reference
39672
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Year
1983
Reference
39672
Media type
Audio
Duration
00:28:35
Credits
RNZ Collection
Weddell, Jessica, 1926-1997, Interviewer
Vette, Gordon, Interviewee

Captain Gordon Vette, an experienced DC10 pilot and navigator, talks with Jessica Weddell about his book, Impact Erebus, on her programme Join Jessica.

He was motivated to write it because of his belief that the pilot and navigator were not to blame for the Air New Zealand DC10 which crashed in Antarctica in 1979.

He flew one of the initial Antarctic flights for Air New Zealand. He discusses the psychological requirements of an airline pilot.
They discuss the DC-10 aircraft and other recent crashes the model has been involved in.

He says Pilot Jim Collins and his crew were not warned about atmospheric conditions that could affect visibility and the briefing he received the night before the flight was invalidated by a trasnfer of waypoint information without his knowledge.

He says Air New Zealand adopted a postion that nothing they had done had contyributed to the accident and stated that Collins was at fault for flying too low. However, the Royal Commission meant this position could not be sustained.

Justice Peter Mahon's 'litany of lies' comment is currently before the Privy Council so Captain Vette cannot comment on it.