Antarctic Hercules Crash 1970's

Was this not the one that a film was made of with Richard Chamberlain?

Not exactly! :p The Richard Chamberlain film ‘Ordeal in the Artic ‘ was made in 1993 for TV. It described the Canadian Hercules crash 10 miles from the North Pole in 1991. The film was made in Edmonton, Alberta.

Was this not the one that a film was made of with Richard Chamberlain?

Thought so.

from: http://www.vaq34.com/

“The third plane lost during Deep Freeze 71 was an LC-130F, BUNO 148318 on Febuary 15, 1971. The Hercules was taxiing on the skiway at Williams Field for a flight to Christchurch. It taxied around the Ground Controlled Approach building in poor visibility, and the left main ski went up over a 5 1/2 foot snow bank. The right wing hit the ground and broke between the two engines. A fire, feed by fuel and fanned by high winds destroyed the aircraft (VXE-6, 1971)”
(from “United States Aircraft Losses in Antarctica”)

Cheers
Chris

Did the one in the pics catch fire? it looks very well destroyed.

Not sure if I’m wrong but I think there’s a bit of confusion here about where the crashed/recovered Herks were.

The ones I think you’re thinking of were at a remote working site called Dome Charlie. One went in to recover a field party and (if I’ve got them the right way round) had a Jato bottle go awol and chop off the wing after taking the prop off the port inboard. A second herk arrived to pick up the party and the crew of the first but on takeoff he dug in a nose ski and that was him stuffed as well. A third Herk finally got everyone out.

A year or two later (not sure how many to be exact) the second was got out as its damage wasn’t that major.

The first stayed there for many years (ten or so I recall) until inflation costs made its recovery cheaper than building a new one. A whole wing was taken down and a change done and the fuselage sides patched up (the severed prop had gone through it) and she was got out to Mactown for some more work before coming to AirNZ Harewood for full workover. I think she was probably the one that in later life was named the “ole grey mare” with a suitable cartoon fwd the crew entry door.

hope that clarifies it, as I say some of the fine detail may be a bit awry but the guts are right.

One Navy Herk…I don’t know if it was this one…was repaired and flown off the ice after being abandoned for 10-15 years.
What was at one time deemed not-cost effective…suddenly was.

From the talk about this over on Wix I don’t think it’s the same plane that was repaired. I’d think any recovery of this aircraft would be by boat, but I doubt it has actually been recovered.

Also at the ice laying where they crashed there is the RNZAF Beaver, and a Dakota still there too from memory.

Interesting story this is turning out to be. I wonder if it is still there? Someone else mentioned they generaly recover them fairly fast but by the looks of the pics it has either sunk in or caught fire?

can anyone tell me what caused the tears in the fin? it almost looks like its been shot at.

From what I remember Dad saying, they were made by personnel wanting to climb to the top to get pics !!!!

One Navy Herk…I don’t know if it was this one…was repaired and flown off the ice after being abandoned for 10-15 years.
What was at one time deemed not-cost effective…suddenly was.

can anyone tell me what caused the tears in the fin? it almost looks like its been shot at.

Hi Dave,

The Hercules is LC-130F Bu 148318 (c/n 282-3562) of VX-6 (?) which crashed on take-off from McMurdo on 15 February 1971.

Regards,

Jan