Family, friends join to remember
By CLAIRE CONNELL - The Marlborough Express
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The Stevenson family of Picton credit a positive outlook and supportive family and friends for helping them survive the shock of losing their husband and father in Air New Zealand's doomed flight to Antarctica.
Tony Stevenson, 45, was one of 257 people killed when the plane crashed into Mt Erebus on a one-day sightseeing flight to Antarctica on November 28, 1979.
Three decades on from the disaster, the Stevensons cherish memories of an outgoing and friendly father and husband who was the "life and soul of the party".
About 40 family and friends from New Zealand and Australia will arrive in Picton over the next two days to celebrate the good times and remember Mr Stevenson.
The family do not dwell on the fact Mr Stevenson died in what remains New Zealand's worst aviation disaster and one that remains controversial to this day.
Widow Gwen Stevenson says she was lucky she had the support of her five children, family and close friends to help her cope.
"You just accept it and move on."
Tony, a ferry engineer, always wanted to travel to Antarctica and joined Picton resident Marlene Hansen on the fateful trip.
Mrs Stevenson was baking a banana cake when she first heard the flight was late in returning home on television.
"Greg [her son, 16] came running in from the lounge going `Mum Mum, Dad's plane has gone missing!' I said `Don't be silly'."
About 2am, news came "that they had found a smudge on the mountain", Mrs Stevenson recalls.
The family said they were one of the "lucky ones" because they got Mr Stevenson's body back.
The Stevensons agreed with royal commissioner Justice Peter Mahon's report that accused Air New Zealand of a massive cover-up when the navigation track of TE901 was altered just before the flight, without the pilots being told of the change.
"They [Air New Zealand] could have just told us the truth. It may have been a shock but everyone likes to hear the truth – they covered that up," Mrs Stevenson said.
