Background
Air New Zealand had been operating scheduled Antarctic sightseeing flights since 1977. These flights typically departed from Auckland Airport in the morning, spent a few hours flying over the Antarctic continent, and returned to Auckland in the evening via Christchurch.
Flight
On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901 (TE901) departed Auckland Airport. The flight was scheduled to follow the standard Antarctic sightseeing route, providing passengers with views of the continent before returning to New Zealand via Christchurch.
Accident
During the flight, the aircraft flew into Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica. Mount Erebus is a volcano located on the island. The impact killed all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board, for a total of 257 fatalities. The accident has since been referred to as the Mount Erebus disaster. The flight was operating on a scheduled sightseeing service that had been offered since 1977.