On the 28th of November 1979 disaster struck New Zealand when an Air New Zealand sightseeing flight flew into the side of Mt Erebus killing all 257 passengers and crew on board. At the time of the accident, it was ranked the 4th worst aviation disaster of all time and New Zealand's worst disaster, and this was partially because of the enormous amount of controversy that surrounded the incident. Much of the spotlight was taken off the grieving families and those who were killed in the accident, and instead was passed onto finding out who was to blame for the crash, causing speculation and controversy, and dividing the nation. The impact on New Zealand was significant, and to this day still remains an important part of New Zealand History. By: Rosanna Kelly-Nair |