A national memorialThe New Zealand Government has committed to constructing a national memorial that acknowledges the loss to Erebus families and the nation.Erebus remains New Zealand’s worst civil accident.The airplane was operated by the national carrier Air New Zealand, that was in full state ownership at the time.The memorial will be an enduring place where present and future generations can visit to gather, remember, and reflect on those who lost their lives on 28 November 1979.AccidentOn the morning of 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight TE901 left Auckland for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica. At 12.49 p.m. (NZST) the aircraft crashed into Mt Erebus, killing all 257 people on board.Erebus remains the worst civil accident in New Zealand's history, and the scale of loss shocked the nation.Passengers and crewThere were 237 passengers and 20 crew onboard Flight TE901. People came from across Aotearoa, and there were a number of international passengers.A list of passengers and crew, including their town, city or country of residence is available on our website. Passengers and crew from Flight TE901 The names of all passengers and crew who were on Air New Zealand Flight TE901. FamiliesErebus families, who lost someone in the accident, are at the heart of the National Erebus Memorial. Erebus families deserve a national space of remembrance – a place to come together and touch the names of their loved ones, especially those who were unable to lay their loved ones to rest after the tragedy.Operation OverdueOperation Overdue is the name given to professionals and volunteers who assisted in the recovery, identification and investigation of the crash. Whether in Antarctica, Aotearoa or overseas, they strived to bring everyone from Flight TE901 home. The nature of this work was harrowing and required enormous courage and resilience.If you have a connection to someone on Flight TE901 or were part of Operation Overdue, please email [email protected] with your connection to receive National Erebus Memorial updates.Erebus StoriesIn their own words, whānau, family and friends, as well as some of those involved with Operation Overdue, have shared their personal reflections about the people onboard Flight TE901, its impact then and in the years since. Read these stories on our NZ History website.Reflections on Erebus (NZ History)National Erebus MemorialIn 2017, the Government committed to building a National Erebus Memorial, with Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage leading the project. The memorial will provide Erebus families with a dedicated place of remembrance. It will recognise the effects of the tragedy on a national scale given the reverberations of the accident still felt today. The memorial will provide a place for Erebus families, Operation Overdue members and New Zealanders to gather, remember and reflect on the accident.In November 2025 Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere, Christchurch was selected as the site for a National Erebus Memorial. Project statusOn 27 November 2025 the Ministry shared news that a preferred site had been selected – Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere, Christchurch. Site decision documentation is available in our publications' library.National Erebus Memorial location and preferred site decision documentsOn 12 March 2026 the Ministry released the concept design for the memorial based on the updated design brief and detailed site context analysis of Cracroft Reserve. On 20 April 2026, 3D renders illustrating the design were released. National Erebus Memorial moves forward with release of concept designNext phase reached in National Erebus Memorial designNext stepsNext steps include:developed and detailed design phases,regulatory approvals, site establishment, construction, and unveiling.We will continue working closely with Erebus families and members of Operation Overdue, mana whenua and other stakeholders as we work through this process.StakeholdersWe have worked closely with several project partners and stakeholders throughout the site selection process. We remain committed to everyone with an interest in the memorial, and work closely with iwi, communities, local government and other key stakeholders.DesignIn 2019, Te Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song was announced as the original memorial design.The concept design, shared on 12 March 2026, has been adapted for Cracroft Reserve. The concept design is informed by the updated design brief and reuses as many design principles and elements of Te Paerangi Ataata as possible. Image Render showing National Erebus Memorial facing south. Te Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song reflects the enormity of the Erebus tragedy while also providing a strong sense of connection and loss.Along with sadness and loss, the design also evokes the sense of adventure the crew and passengers are almost sure to have enjoyed as they boarded the flight.A key element of the design is the names of all 257 people on Flight TE901, so families can touch the names of their loved ones. Image Image: Studio Pacific Architecture National Erebus Memorial Updated Design Brief, January 2026 (PDF, 130KB)National Erebus Memorial moves forward with release of concept designNext phase reached in National Erebus Memorial designCostManatū Taonga is responsible for costs associated with the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of the memorial. The capital budget for the project is $3.809 million. In addition, $238,548 of materials and specialist advice that was obtained during the National Erebus Memorial at Dove-Myer Robinson Park Project, is available to be repurposed for the new site.Historical informationFor previous project updates see the site selection documents.National Erebus Memorial site selection documentsFor information about the National Erebus Memorial at Dove-Myer Robinson Park, visit the webpage. National Erebus Memorial at Dove-Myer Robinson Park ProjectAdditional resourcesErebus disaster timeline15 February 1977: First Air New Zealand sightseeing flight to AntarcticaAir New Zealand first considered operating flights to Antarctica in the late 1960s. The addition of the DC-10 to the airline’s fleet in 1973 made such flights possible. It would be a further four years before flights began. Air New Zealand’s flight package proved to be very popular. Passengers enjoyed meals and refreshments, complimentary bar service, in-flight entertainment and expert commentary.28 November 1979: Erebus disasterAt 12.49 p.m. NZST, one such sightseeing flight, Air New Zealand Flight TE901, crashed into the lower slopes of Mt Erebus killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board.When TE901 failed to arrive at Christchurch on schedule, authorities feared the worst. Search and rescue operations began in Antarctica and at midnight (NZST), aircraft spotted the wreckage. It was the worst civil disaster in New Zealand's history.29 November–10 December 1979: Operation Overdue: AntarcticaOperation Overdue’s primary objectives were the gathering of evidence, and the recovery of human remains. Ron Chippindale, Chief Air Accident Investigator led the site investigation. Police search and rescue coordinator, Inspector Robert (Bob) Mitchell, led the recovery operation.By 10 December the site investigation and recovery operation was complete. Disaster Victim Identification teams recovered 114 substantially intact bodies, 133 bags of human remains, and countless personal belongings.December 1979–22 February 1980: Operation Overdue: New ZealandChief Inspector Jim Morgan led the team that carried out the painstaking and traumatic process of victim identification. Post-mortems were completed by 21 December. In the end 213 of the 257 victims were identified. The 44 unidentified bodies were buried in 16 caskets during a joint ceremony at Waikumete Cemetery in West Auckland on 22 February 1980.31 May–19 June 1980: The Chippindale ReportOn 31 May 1980, Ron Chippindale submitted his accident report to Colin McLachlan, the Minister of Transport. The report was made public on 19 June 1980. Chippindale concluded that the ‘probable cause’ of the disaster was pilot error.July 1980–April 1981: Royal Commission of InquiryJustice Peter Mahon’s inquiry began on 7 July. He heard from 52 witnesses over 75 days, accumulating over 3000 pages of evidence, 284 documentary exhibits and 368 pages of closing submissions. The final report released in April 1981 found that Air New Zealand was primarily to blame for the tragedy. Mahon asserted that Air New Zealand had intentionally misled the inquiry through an ‘orchestrated litany of lies’.December 1981–October 1983: Court action following Erebus disaster inquiryAir New Zealand successfully challenged Mahon’s findings in the Court of Appeal which ruled he had breached natural justice by not allowing those accused to respond to the allegations and had acted outside his jurisdiction. Mahon resigned from the High Court bench but later appealed to the Privy Council. He lost his appeal in October 1983 but was thanked for his 'brilliant and painstaking investigative work’.6 November 2006: Recognition of individual contributions during Erebus operationIn 1980 and again in 1982, the New Zealand Police recognised those who had assisted them during Operation Overdue. In 1981, Robert Mitchell and Jim Morgan, who coordinated the operation, were made MBEs in recognition of their work. Greater official recognition did not come until November 2006 with the New Zealand Special Service Medal (Erebus).23 October 2009: Air New Zealand apologyAt the unveiling of the sculpture Momentum, marking significant events in Air New Zealand’s history, Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe apologised to those the airline had let down in the aftermath of the Erebus tragedy. But for many this apology did not go far enough. Maria Collins, the wife of Captain Jim Collins, the pilot of Flight TE901, told the media that she still hoped to clear her husband's name.2017: Government commits to a National Erebus MemorialOn the 38th anniversary of the Erebus disaster, Prime Minister Rt Hon. Jacinda Ardern announced she would progress a long overdue national memorial.5 April 2019: Memorial design announcedTe Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song, by Wellington firm Studio Pacific Architecture in collaboration with artists Jason O’Hara and Warren Maxwell, is selected as the design for the National Erebus Memorial to the 257 Erebus victims, to be built at Taurarua Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Auckland.28 November 2019: Government apologyPrime Minister Rt Hon. Jacinda Ardern, at a private ceremony marking 40 years since the disaster, said that ‘the time has come to apologise for the actions of an airline then in full state ownership, which ultimately caused the loss of the aircraft and the loss of those you loved.’ Air New Zealand Board Chair Dame Therese Walsh also gave a fulsome apology. Taurarua Dove-Myer Robinson Park was announced as the proposed site for a national memorial to the 257 Erebus victims.2023: Ministry seeks new, enduring site for memorialExtreme weather events in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in February 2023 results in significant damage to the coastline near original memorial site Dove Myer Robinson Park. Secretary and Chief Executive for Culture and Heritage, Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae makes the decision to seek a new enduring home for the memorial. Government reiterates its absolute commitment to securing an enduring site for the memorial, for present and future generations.October 2023–July 2024Manatū Taonga takes the lead on the site selection process in Auckland, and generating a long list of sites for the National Erebus Memorial. Manatū Taonga shares 13 potential sites with Erebus families in December 2023. Of the 13 sites, 12 are in Auckland and one is in Wellington. In March 2024 a shortlist of four sites is shared with families, and by July 2024 two sites remain on the shortlist.September–November 2024Alternative sites begin to be explored in Auckland that were not considered in original identification of sites. Manatū Taonga contacts stakeholders of specific sites in Ōtautahi Christchurch.Christchurch and Wellington are explored further as potential locations and Erebus families are surveyed about which main centres are suitable to home the National Erebus Memorial.28 November 2024The 45th anniversary of the crash. Memorial services take place in Christchurch, at Air New Zealand headquarters in Auckland, and at Scott Base in Antarctica. December 2024–July 2025The Mayor of Christchurch, Mr Phil Mauger, invites Erebus families to consider the city as a potential location for the National Erebus Memorial. The site selection process for Christchurch begins and is shared with Erebus families. A working group for site selection is established. A long list of sites is assessed and refined down to three potential sites.Letter from Mayor, Phil Mauger (PDF, 1.01 MB)July 2025Potential sites for a National Erebus Memorial in Christchurch are shared with Erebus families. Families’ feedback on the three sites is sought through a survey. One site in Auckland still remains under consideration. 27 November 2025Manatū Taonga announces that the National Erebus Memorial will be located in Christchurch, at Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere. The Ministry also shares that it will pause exploration of potential sites in Auckland.Cracroft Reserve in Christchurch selected as preferred site for National Erebus Memorial12 March 2026Manatū Taonga shares the concept design of the National Erebus Memorial.National Erebus Memorial moves forward with release of concept designExternal linksErebus disaster (NZ History)Video of the 40th Anniversary of the Erebus accident at Government House (YouTube)Erebus: the story (NZ Airline Pilots’ Association)White silence podcast (RNZ)Erebus memorials in New ZealandFind out about Erebus memorials around New Zealand on NZ History:Erebus disaster memorial at Waikumete CemeteryMemorial plaque and gardens at Auckland airportErebus memorial at KihikihiErebus disaster memorial window at St Stephen'sErebus disaster memorial windows at St Matthew'sErebus disaster memorial window at KaiapoiSee also: Messages, memorials and an apology (NZ History)Initial Erebus memorial services (NZ History)
Passengers and crew from Flight TE901 The names of all passengers and crew who were on Air New Zealand Flight TE901.