The crash occurred at 12.50 pm on 28 November 1979. The aircraft struck
the northern slopes of Mount Erebus, only about 1500 feet above sea
level. There were no survivors. The evidence indicates that the weather
was fine but overcast and that the plane had descended below the cloud
base and was flying in clear air. The pilot, Captain Collins, had not
been to the Antarctic before, and of the other four members of the
flight crew only one, a flight engineer, had done so. The plane was on
nav track.

The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Mr R. Chippindale, carried out an
investigation and made a report to the Minister, dated 31 May 1980,
under reg. 16 of the Civil Aviation (Accident Investigation) Regulations
1978. It was approved by the Minister for release as a public document.
The Chief Inspector concluded that 'The probable cause of the accident
was the decision of the captain to continue the flight at low level
toward an area of poor surface and horizon definition when the crew was
not certain of their position and the subsequent inability to detect the
rising terrain which intercepted the aircraft's flight path'. He adhered
to this in evidence before the subsequent Royal Commission.

The Royal Commission was appointed on 11 June 1980 to inquire into 'the
causes and circumstances of the crash', an expression which was
elaborated in terms of reference consisting of paragraphs (a) to (j).
Mr. Justice Mahon was appointed sole Commissioner. In his report,
transmitted to the Governor-General by letter dated 16 April 1981 and
subsequently presented to the House of Representatives by Command of His
Excellency and later printed for public sale, the Commissioner found
that '... the single dominant and effective cause of the disaster was
the mistake made by those airline officials who programmed the aircraft