The airline had very much been a source of pride for the country - as national carriers are, it was part of the fabric of how New Zealand saw itself on the global stage. But over the years, the overwhelming consensus became that the airline had indeed been at fault and not the pilot team.

It never ran the Antarctic flights again - though one private airline does cover the sightseeing route from Australia.

At the time, the crash and its aftermath were seen as "almost a sense of betrayal for people", Mr Light explains.