10-08-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Maps of Antarctica evacuation show pilots' daring rescue in frozen darkness
They had to contend with fast-changing Antarctic weather, navigate past a point of no return, and wore night-vision goggles in order to land and take off for the return trip. The researchers are now receiving medical treatment in Christchurch.
Here's a closer look at how this extraordinary flight unfolded:
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An unidentified researcher at McMurdo required urgent medical care that wasn't available at the station. McMurdo officials asked the New Zealand air force for flight transport to a Christchurch hospital.
Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform, Reuters reported.
Extensive analysis of changing weather and landing zone status is conducted before flights are attempted. There's also something known as the point of no return, a point in the flight path at which an aircraft can't safely return to its departure airfield, or divert to other airfields.
The C-130J was prepared in Christchurch on the afternoon of Aug. 3, but did not take off until Aug. 5. A doctor was on board to aid the evacuees. Maintenance teams at McMurdo prepared a stretch of ice as a runway.
The plane landed at McMurdo shortly after noon. One doctor and other medical personnel were on board to care for the patients throughout the flight, New Zealand officials said.
As the evacuees boarded, crews conducted a "hot refuel" of the aircraft, keeping its engines running to prevent freezing as fuel was added. Temperatures at the research station dropped to -11 degrees Fahrenheit on Aug. 5, Reuters reported.
The aircraft landed in Christchurch on the morning of Aug. 6. The entire flight took about 19.5 hours, officials said.
What is McMurdo Station?
The U.S. National Science Foundation runs McMurdo Station, located on the edge of the Ross Sea. It's a research facility, the largest on the Antarctic continent, and is the central logistical hub for the U.S. Antarctic Program.
It opened in 1956 and is named for Lt. Archibald McMurdo, a Scottish naval officer and polar explorer. It's about 840 miles from the South Pole. About 1,100 staffers are at the station in the summer months. In winter, the population drops to about 200.
Research at the station includes:
?Aeronomy and astrophysics.
?Biology and ecosystems.
?Geology, geophysics, glaciology and geomorphology.
?Ocean and climate systems.
?Ice core studies.
Why is McMurdo Station dark in winter?
The Antarctic continent is dark for half the year because of a phenomenon known as polar night, when the sun drops below the horizon for 24 hours a day.
The change happens because the Earth is tilted at about 23.5 degrees relative to the sun. The South Pole is tilted away from the sun from March to September, the time of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
How are the American researchers doing?
At present, we don't know their identities or much about them, other than they were being treated in Christchurch.
One had an unspecified serious condition that required urgent medical care, according to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The other two, who needed non-emergency care, were taken on the flight.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024, according to Reuters.
Read more: US researchers flown in high-risk winter Antarctica evacuation operation
CONTRIBUTING Anthony Robledo, Shawn J Sullivan
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Royal New Zealand Air Force; National Science Foundation; United States Antarctic Program; AccuWeather
