Current Entries
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| Name: | William Fairbairn |
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| Location: | Nelson |
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| Comments: | I am a Composer Musician Entertainer and have been composing music since age 4
At 10 years of age my Dad explained to me how Grandad had taken the Erebus trip, and the trip which crashed was the one my Dad was to go on but due to work comitments that came up he was unable to go.
I composed Tribute To Mount Erebus at age 10, I visulise it as I play it, it is a very emotional piece it was also a UK Semi finalist, to hear the song go to my web site www.williamfairbairn.co.nz and click on past compositions and video clips
I am now age 12 but feel very conected to this accident through my music.
williamfairbairnmusic@gmail.com |
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| Visit Date: | 26/11/2009 |
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| Name: | Mckayla Marlene Hansen |
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| Location: | Blenheim, New Zealand |
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| Comments: | I Am A Grandaughter Of Marlene Anne Hansen, I Have Recently Been Talking With My Cousin Bradley O'Rouke About The Crash. That Made Me Want To Search It Up, Then I Came Across This Site, It's So Sad, I Never Got To Meet Her, But From What Ive Been Told She Was A Wonderful Woman Who Always Put Other's Before Herself, Was always There For Everyone Who Needed A Friend. She Is Very Very Dearly Missed and Will Always Be In All Of Our Hearts, Altough I Never Got To Meet Her, I Love Her And Will Always Love Her, Rest In Paradise Nana Love You Always And Forever xoxo Missing You Everyday xoxo |
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| Visit Date: | 21/10/2009 |
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| Name: | Peter Rhodes |
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| Location: | Wanaka OTAGO |
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| Comments: | Well done NZALPA. The lessons from this tragedy are there for everybody, from Government, NZCAA, to the individual participant in the aviation industry. Our greatest tribute to those who died on Erebus is to ensure those lessons are applied to prevent such a tragedy again. |
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| Visit Date: | 18/10/2009 |
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| Name: | Carmen Mackenzie |
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| Location: | Waitakere City, Auckland, New Zealand |
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| Comments: | I am glad there is somewhere where my children can come to access information regarding this tragic event in NZ History and also a tragic event for our family. I remeber the day very well even though I was only 8 years old when we lost our both of our grandparents, my family were quiet and shocked. There was no real sense of closure for the family as there were no seperate family funerals for us to attend. It is still hard 30 years on and I feel will always be a sad time for those who lost love ones that day. |
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| Visit Date: | 16/10/2009 |
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| Name: | Ian Hambly |
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| Location: | Auckland |
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| Comments: | On 28 November 1979 I was a steward with Air NZ. I knew all the crew on TE901. I was appointed to coordinate the activities associated with the families of the cabin crew on board and subsequently spent 6 weeks in the Auckland Mortuary looking for the crew amongst the remains recovered from the crash site. With the agreement of the families involved, I performed the formal identifications where that was possible (9 out of 15). My most harrowing task was to return property recovered from the crash site and the mortuary to the families. I guess I remain affected by my experiences. I also attended the Auckland sittings of the Royal Commission of Enquiry. I can confirm that Justice Peter Mahon was presented with an 'orchestrated litany of lies'. I was a witness to it. When Mahon reported that he had to listen to evidence that was 'palpably false', he did. It was obvious to everyone present. Gordon Vette's evidence was instrumental in giving Mahon a full understanding of Air NZ's Antarctic operations and enabling him to correctly identify the factors that led to the accident. The Chief Investigator's report was exposed as rudimentary and superficial and his conclusions not only wrong but worse, predetermined. A terrible miscarriage of justice was prevented. Both Gordon Vette and Peter Mahon were men of integrity and that integrity led them to confront evil at great personal cost. Thirty years on we are in their debt and will remain so. |
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| Visit Date: | 16/10/2009 |
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| Name: | Simon Carr-Smith |
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| Location: | Bali |
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| Comments: | Thanks for your efforts to keep the memories alive. My wife Elizabeth, of only a few days died in the crash. It lives on me every day still - not as the pain of loss, but as a special gift that expanded over the years to be able to guide others through loss and pain - to enrichen their lives to come. I pray that others have received that same gift. |
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| Visit Date: | 16/10/2009 |
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| Name: | Don Wood |
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| Location: | Napier |
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| Comments: | I think that this is a great resource for us all. We lost our parents and two close family friends. My loss was their wisdom and companionship for our family but in particlar my children who were 7, 5 & 3 in 1979.
The news over the last few days from Air New Zealand is that they may at long last be getting some things right right.
Our family was like every other who lost some one on that flight. We were presented with some flowers by an air hostess soon after that day.
Since that day we have had nothing. Every 10 years it is like repoening an old wound as all the emotion floods back of those dark days.
Apportioning blame now is irrevelant to me.
Like most things in life it is never black or white but always a shade of grey.
I have put my name inot the ballot to go down there as I would love to see the place where it happened.
Finally I still have my fathers watch which has stopped forever at the moment of impact. For years it smelt strongly of aviation fuel but now that too has gone.
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| Visit Date: | 15/10/2009 |
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| Name: | Chris Clark |
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| Location: | Auckland |
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| Comments: | I lost my Grandfather in this tragedy, and ever since I was a young boy I have been fascinated with this disaster, I now go around schools talking to kids about my families experience's with this disaster. Thank you so much for creating such a wonderful website and continuing to remember our loved ones that we lost.
Thank you. |
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| Visit Date: | 30/09/2009 |
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| Name: | C. Berner |
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| Location: | Frankfurt, Germany |
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| Comments: | Impressive Website, thanks for working out this different point of view about aircraft accident analysis and this tragedy in particular. |
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| Visit Date: | 4/09/2009 |
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| Name: | Kathryn |
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| Location: | Brisbane Australia |
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| Comments: | I had been working for Air New Zealand just 3 years when this tragedy happened (I would stay another 25) and at the time I was the early morning shift supervisor in one of the airline's reservations offices. It was with shock & saddness I saw at 6am the following morning the pasenger manifest on my desk of all those lives that had just been lost.
It had been my privilege also to fly with Cptn Jim Collins on the flight deck of the DC10 just a few months before on a company sponsored trip to/from Australia for 4 staff from Christchurch.
I have just finished reading Peter Mahon's book "Verdict on Erebus" which tells so clearly the tragedy on that day and the aftermath. But it a day, we who worked in the airline at that time will never forget.
As we come to the 30th anniversary my heart goes out to all the people who lost their lives & their families, that day. |
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| Visit Date: | 19/08/2009 |
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| Name: | Peter Yearbury,N.Z.S.S.M.(Erebus) |
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| Location: | Christchurch |
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| Comments: | I was one of the team of Embalmers who helped.(then aged 27 years)
Although a very difficult and unpleasant task, it was an honour and priviledge to have been able to help in New Zealand's worst disaster with the loss of 256 lives. |
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| Visit Date: | 16/08/2009 |
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| Name: | Max Körte, Capt. /Checkairman ret. |
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| Location: | Germany |
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| Comments: | All the years after that tragic desaster we pilots were eager to get as much information on the why's . Thanks to your outstanding work and enthusiasm now we have a comprehensive and clear picture what happened. My fellow managment pilots have learned the lesson. This website will serve as a benchmark tool to educate all responsible people.
With sincere greetings! |
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| Visit Date: | 30/07/2009 |
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| Name: | Klaus Sievers |
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| Location: | Germany |
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| Comments: | My compliments on the website and
my condolences to the Crew and Passengers of the flight.
Klaus Sievers |
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| Visit Date: | 28/07/2009 |
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| Name: | Nicholas Sickelmore |
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| Location: | Te Awamutu |
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| Comments: | I first heard about the crash when I was at school in England. At the time I was 8 years old and didn't know or understand why my family where so upset when I was at home. It was a very sad day as we had lost my uncle Dave Sickelmore (Cabin Crew). We visited New Zealand in November 1979 for the funeral, etc. This is when my parents fell in love with New Zealand and could totally understand why my uncle left England to move here. We moved here in 1986 and have called it home ever since. I think that this website is a wonderful to celebrate those inviduals that lost theirs lives in this tragic event. I hope that family, friends and loved ones keep writing their thoughts on this page. I often think of uncle Dave and how he is getting on. When time gets on and wounds are healed, I hope that the truth about this awful event will be told. |
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| Visit Date: | 21/07/2009 |
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| Name: | Shams |
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| Location: | Auckland - New Zealand |
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| Comments: | Congratulations on this informative website, I have never heard of this tragedy before, and have never thought about aviation accident rate in NZ, now you got me thinking!
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| Visit Date: | 18/07/2009 |
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