A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) 757 carrying Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully to Antarctica nearly ran out of fuel as the plane had to circle above the runway for two hours due to fog.
The flight left Christchurch for Pegasus Field aerodrome in October 2013 with 130 people on board.
The crew flew towards the destination after reports indicate weather at the airfield met minimum criteria to land safely. The decision to go ahead was made at the point whereby the plane does not have sufficient fuel to return back to Christchurch. The crew believed the weather at the aerodrome is clear enough for landing upon arrival.
However, the weather deteriorated and two attempts to land failed. On the third attempt, the pilots decided to use the lower minimum descent altitude for the final approach. The runway was spotted only when the plane was 110 ft above the ground. The flight landed safely.
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