to fly directly at Mt. Erebus and omitted to tell the aircrew'. He
exonerated the crew from any error contributing to the disaster.

The Commissioner and the Chief Inspector were at one in concluding that
the crash has occurred in a whiteout. The Commissioner gave this vivid
reconstruction in the course of para. 40 of his report:

I have already made it clear that the aircraft struck the lower
slopes of Mt. Erebus whilst flying in clear air. The DC10 was at
the time flying under a total cloud cover which extended forward
until it met the mountain-side at an altitude of somewhere between
2000 and 2500 feet. The position of the sun at the time of impact
was directly behind the aircraft, being in a position approximately
to the true north of the mountain and shining at an inclination of
34°. The co-existence of these factors produced without doubt the
classic 'whiteout' phenomenon which occurs from time to time in
polar regions, or in any terrain totally covered by snow. Very
extensive evidence was received by the Commission as to the
occurrence and the consequences of this weather phenomenon. So long
as the view ahead from the flight deck of an aircraft flying over
snow under a solid overcast does not exhibit any rock, or tree, or
other landmark which can offer a guide as to sloping or uneven
ground, then the snow-covered terrain ahead of the aircraft will
invariably appear to be flat. Slopes and ridges will disappear. The
line of vision from the flight deck towards the horizon (if there
is one) will actually portray a white even expanse which is
uniformly level.

What this air crew saw ahead of them as the aircraft levelled out
at 3000 feet and then later at 1500 feet was a long vista of flat