Rodney remembers Mt Erebus disaster

RODNEY REMEMBERS: At least eight locals perished in the Mt Erebus disaster and there may well be more, says St Stephen’s vicar Rev Ian Hardcastle, standing in front of the stained glass window dedicated to those who died in the crash.

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Carol Revell was distraught over a news flash on the radio in London.

An Air New Zealand plane had crashed on a sight-seeing flight over Antarctica.

All 257 people on board had been killed.

That was in November 1979 when Carol, who lives in Orewa, was 30 and working as a nurse in England.

She knew her 51-year-old father, Basil Revell of Waiwera, had planned to go on such a flight with Geraldine, her stepmother, who he had married just months earlier.

"Please, oh please," she murmured. "Don't let it be this one."

She rummaged through a drawer for a letter from Geraldine. There it was.

The pair had booked on the DC-10 flight 901 which, hours after taking off from Auckland, crashed into Mt. Erebus.

At least eight of the victims were from Rodney.

At 12.30pm on Saturday, November 28, Carol will be in St Stephen's Anglican Church in Stanmore Bay Rd, Whangaparaoa, at a memorial service commemorating the 30th anniversary of New Zealand's worst air disaster.

She will be accompanied by her 58-year-old brother Peter Revell of Wainui.

"Peter's the only relative now living in the area but I'll let all the others know about this service," says Carol.

"We do something as a family to mark the date every year and on this special anniversary it will be nice to be part of a bigger service."

That view is shared by Brian Madgwick, 72, of Stanmore Bay, whose mother Eudera Emily Madgwick of Whangaparaoa also died on the flight.

He says: "My father had considered going as well. He decided it wouldn't be worthwhile because there would very likely be a white-out which would mean them seeing virtually nothing."

Brian's father was right. A layer of cloud over Antarctica blended with the white of the volcano so there was no contrast to warn the pilots.

Brian and his wife Diane both plan to attend the service. They will be joined by Brian's sister Pamela Easterbrook from Australia.

"Pamela was coming over to be with us as we remember the anniversary and she'll appreciate being at the memorial service with so many well-wishers."

A focal point during the service will be the church's Erebus stained-glass window, dedicated in November 1980, one year after the crash.

St Stephen's vicar Rev Ian Hardcastle says: "There may well be more Rodney people who lost relatives or friends in the Erebus disaster and who we haven't been able to find or contact.

"They would all be extremely welcome."

Contact the church office on (09) 554-0747 or visit www.ststephenshbc.org.nz for more information.

- Tickets for the fatal 1979 flight that hit Mt Erebus cost $359 now the equivalent of about $1218.

Sir Edmund Hillary was scheduled to be on board as a guide - a role he had played on earlier flights - but he could not go because of other engagements.

- © Fairfax NZ News