The Royal New Zealand Air Force conducted a roughly 20-hour medical evacuation in “extreme conditions” for three Americans at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica on Tuesday.
In a Wednesday press release, the Royal New Zealand Air Force confirmed that the medical evacuation operation was requested by the U.S. National Science Foundation after three staff members located at the McMurdo Station were not able to receive the medical treatment they required in Antarctica. The press release noted that one of the staff members needed “urgent medical care.”
Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott explained that the mid-winter evacuation flight to Antarctica is one of the most challenging operations the Royal New Zealand Air Force crews perform due to Antarctica’s cold temperatures, changing weather conditions, and ice landings in the dark.
“The crew can only attempt the flight after detailed analysis of the weather and airfield state,” Scott stated. “The United States Antarctic Program Winter Team must physically create the runway before we can depart by ensuring the ice is groomed and suitable for landing.
“Although they determine it is safe, it’s still an extremely challenging environment to fly in on Night Vision Goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge,” Scott added. “This, coupled with there being no airfields available to divert to once the aircraft is past a certain point south adds to the risk, so these missions are not taken lightly.”
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According to Wednesday’s press release, the evacuation team included New Zealand Defence Force medical personnel and a doctor to provide care for the three American patients on the return flight to Christchurch. The press release noted that the New Zealand crew departed on Tuesday afternoon and continued the operation throughout the night. The full evacuation took roughly 19.5 hours.
Fox News reported that in addition to the other challenges faced by the evacuation team, the temperature at McMurdo Station fell to -11 degrees Fahrenheit during the evacuation operation.
“This mission wasn’t just difficult; it was one of the most technically demanding operations an aircrew can face. In extreme conditions, with little margin for error, the RNZAF executed this mid-winter Antarctic medevac flawlessly,” Melissa Sweeney, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to New Zealand, said.
“We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn’t hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class,” Sweeney added. “Only the best crews can pull off something like this and the RNZAF proved, again, that they’re among the very best. This isn’t luck, its professionalism, planning, and a level of capability that few can match.”
