A dangerous airspace warning over alleged "falling space debris" led to a US Airforce flight to Antarctica being forced to turn back this morning.
It was the first of three scheduled flights to Antarctica this week to mark the end of winter and opening of the bases.
But after two and a half hours in the air, the aircraft was forced to return to Christchurch in a maneuver known as a ‘boomerang'.
The flight, designated Ice28, made the attempt to land at Phoenix Airfield today, an ice runway on the Ross Ice Shelf in McMurdo Sound.
But it turned around due to a “dangerous airspace warning”, according to the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) weather line. And according to multiple USAP participants on board the flight, spoken to by MetroNews, crew members announced the issue was due to falling space debris.
“It’s a pretty unique reason for the delay… So while there’s a little disappointment in the air, at least we get a fun tale to tell," one passenger said.
Flights to Antarctica at this time of year, known as the ‘WinFly’ or winter fly-in season, rarely arrive on time usually due to poor weather or unfavourable airfield conditions on the ice.
A USAP participant, who asked not to be named, said they were excited to get down to Antarctica and get to work at USAP’s McMurdo Station.
However delays were to be expected, especially at this time of year.
“Up and up and up we go, where we’ll land nobody knows.”
Participants have been told to be ready to attempt the flight again tomorrow morning.
