Emergency services on standby as Air New Zealand flight turns back to Auckland

Air NZ

Air New Zealand Flight 901 was a sightseeing flight over Antarctica that operated throughout the late 1970s. These were popular scenic tours where passengers -many of them tourists and retirees-would enjoy breathtaking views of glaciers, mountains, and the ice-covered landscape from low altitude. On 28 November 1979, Flight 901 departed Auckland for what was supposed to be another routine, awe-inspiring trip. As the aircraft approached Antarctica, passengers walked between windows, took photogra