The Royal New Zealand Air Force rescued three people at an American research station in Antarctica early Wednesday morning.
In extreme conditions and total darkness, the RNZAF landed a C-130J Hercules at McMurdo Station, where it evacuated one person in need of “urgent medical care” and two others needing medical attention, according to an RNZAF news release on Wednesday.
The RNZAF did not report what had ailed the patients, only that staff at McMurdo Station were unable to give them the medical care they needed.
“This mission wasn’t just difficult; it was one of the most technically demanding operations an aircrew can face,” Chargé d’Affaires Melissa Sweeney said in a Wednesday news release from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in New Zealand.
“In extreme conditions, with little margin for error, the RNZAF executed this mid-winter Antarctic medevac flawlessly,” Sweeney added.
Overnight, the RNZAF carried out a high-risk winter medevac from the U.S. Antarctic Program’s McMurdo Station. Landing a large aircraft on ice, in darkness, using night vision, takes precision and extraordinary skill. We are deeply grateful for the crew’s professionalism,… pic.twitter.com/IKrS2bxxEQ
— US Embassy NZ 🇺🇸🇳🇿 (@usembassynz) August 6, 2025
It was the United States’ National Science Foundation, which runs McMurdo Station, that sent out the distress call, according to CBS News.
By Sunday night, the RNZAF was ready to make the emergency flight departing from Christchurch, New Zealand, but weather and other factors stopped them from taking off, according to the RNZAF news release.
“The crew can only attempt the flight after detailed analysis of the weather and airfield state. 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,” Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said.
But on Tuesday night, the aircrew saw an opening and departed on what would ultimately be a nearly 20-hour round trip.
After landing at the research station, the aircrew left the engines on while they refueled, a practice called “hot refueling,” which prevents the engines from freezing, according to the release.
The crew landed safely back in Christchurch on Wednesday morning.
“Landing a large aircraft on ice, in darkness, using night vision, takes precision and extraordinary skill. We are deeply grateful for the crew’s professionalism, courage, and partnership. This mission was nothing short of heroic,” the U.S. Embassy in New Zealand wrote on the social media platform X.
The temperature at McMurdo station on Tuesday was -11 degrees Fahrenheit, according to CBS News.
“Only the best crews can pull off something like this and the RNZAF proved, again, that they’re among the very best,” Sweeney said.
“This isn’t luck, it’s professionalism, planning, and a level of capability that few can match,” she added.
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