On 28 November 1979 , Air New Zealand Flight 901 ( TE 901 ) crashed into Mount Erebus , killing all 257 on board . Three hours later , VXE-6 initiated the search and rescue effort ( referred to as '' Operation Overdue '' ) , sending an LC-130R Hercules ( XD-01 , BuNo 160741 , c/n 4731 ) and two UH-1N Huey helicopters from McMurdo Station to search the area of the last known position of TE 901 ( approximately 38 miles true north of McMurdo Station ) . These aircraft were joined a half-hour later , at 4:16 pm by six more aircraft launched from McMurdo Station . No survivors could be seen . At around 9:00 am , twenty hours after the crash , helicopters with search parties managed to land on the side of the mountain . The search parties confirmed that the wreckage was from Air New Zealand Flight 901 , and that there were no survivors . In June 2009 , Fifteen U.S. citizens were presented the New Zealand Special Service Medal ( Erebus ) for their work in the body recovery , victim identification and crash investigation phases of Operation Overdue , and resulting from the TE 901 crash . Those receiving the medal included LCDR Reedy Buford , CDR William Andre Coltrin , CDR Paul Richard Dykeman , LCDR William F. Ferrell , LCDR John K. Goodrum , PHAN Charles ( Chuck ) Hitchcock , PH2 Richard L. Horton , ENS George Mixon , CAPT Victor Louis Pesce , CWO Choyce Prewitt , and AD2 Brian Jon Vorderstrasse
Air New Zealand Flight 901
Air New Zealand Flight 901
VXE-6