An Australian aviation crew conducted a medical evacuation mission to rescue a member of a US expedition from McMurdo Station in Antarctica on July 31.
The mission involved an Airbus A319 aircraft, known as Snowbird 1, which flew from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, to McMurdo Station.
The flight to Phoenix Airfield, located near McMurdo Station, lasted five hours and 30 minutes, with the aircraft landing in total darkness.
-43 °C
Temperature recorded during the mission
Temperatures during the operation reached -43°C (-45.4°F). Copilot Louise Robertson stated this was the coldest she had ever felt.
The patient was flown to Christchurch, New Zealand, for medical treatment. The US National Science Foundation told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) that the patient was admitted to Christchurch Hospital in a condition that was initially serious.
Operational challenges
Skytraders, which is contracted by the Australian Antarctic Program, had previously aborted plans to fly to the base on the Ross Ice Shelf a day earlier due to a snow storm.
Skytraders deputy chief executive Duncan Mackay said the aircraft underwent a complete refit into a specialized medevac configuration within 24 hours of the call. Mackay also believed this was the closest a civilian airliner had operated to the winter solstice on June 21.
Every Antarctic mission demands absolute precision, but winter operations raise the complexity significantly
— Captain Al Wallach, Skytraders pilot
We are right on the verge of the limitation of the aircraft
— Copilot Louise Robertson
Copilot Louise Robertson said the conditions were close to the limit of the aircraft's capabilities.
At the geographic South Pole, the sun last set on March 23 and is not scheduled to rise until September 21.
Updates
The patient, after being airlifted, continued receiving medical care in Christchurch, according to the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), while New Zealand’s Health Ministry declined to comment on their condition; copilot Louise Robertson confirmed the mission occurred in near-total darkness with 8-knot winds, and AAD head Emma Campbell emphasized the operation’s complexity and international cooperation, though prior evacuations from McMurdo — including a 2025 April C-130 mission and a 2025 August turboprop evacuation — underscore recurring winter medical risks at the shared McMurdo-Scott Base airstrip.
The patient, after being evacuated to Christchurch, continued to receive medical treatment, according to the Australian Antarctic Division, while New Zealand’s Health Ministry declined to comment on their condition; copilot Louise Robertson described the flight conditions as occurring during 'nautical twilight'—effectively pitch blackness—with 8 knots of wind creating extreme wind-chill, and the mission underscored ongoing international cooperation, as New Zealand had previously evacuated personnel from McMurdo in August 2025 using a four-engine turboprop.
The patient, after being evacuated from McMurdo Station, continued receiving medical care in Christchurch, according to the Australian Antarctic Division, while New Zealand’s Health Ministry declined to comment on their condition; the mission, conducted near the Antarctic winter solstice, faced near-limit conditions with 8 knots of wind and 'pitch blackness' during nautical twilight, and the takeoff from Hobart was delayed 12 hours for favorable weather — a challenge even for Skytraders, which had never before performed a winter medevac this close to the solstice.
The patient, after being evacuated by an Australian A319, continued receiving treatment in Christchurch, while New Zealand’s Health Ministry declined to comment on their condition; the mission, conducted near the Antarctic winter solstice, faced near-limit conditions with 8-knot winds and nautical twilight described as 'pitch blackness,' and was delayed 12 hours in Hobart due to weather — marking Skytraders’ closest-ever medevac to the solstice, though similar winter evacuations have occurred previously, including a 2025 C-130 evacuation by New Zealand from nearby Scott Base.
The patient, after being evacuated from McMurdo Station, continued receiving medical care in Christchurch, according to the Australian Antarctic Division, while New Zealand’s Health Ministry declined to comment on their condition; the mission, conducted near the Antarctic winter solstice, faced near-limit conditions with 8-knot winds and 'pitch blackness' due to nautical twilight, and was delayed 12 hours in Hobart for favorable weather — a complexity underscored by Skytraders’ deputy CEO, who noted it was the closest such evacuation had ever been to the solstice.
The patient, an American citizen, was transported to Christchurch for ongoing medical treatment after the mission, with temperatures plunging to -43°C during the flight; new details confirm the operation occurred near the Antarctic winter solstice—unprecedented for Skytraders—and was conducted under near-total darkness with 8-knot winds, while the US National Science Foundation formally thanked Australia and New Zealand for their life-saving collaboration.
The patient, an American citizen, was transferred to Christchurch for ongoing medical treatment after the mission, with temperatures plunging to -43°C during the flight; new details reveal the operation occurred near the Antarctic winter solstice — the earliest such medevac in Skytraders’ history — and was enabled by a 12-hour delay in Hobart to await a viable weather window, while wind speeds of 8 knots and near-total darkness from nautical twilight pushed the Airbus A319 to its operational limits.
The patient, an American citizen, is recovering well after being transported to Christchurch, where they continue to receive medical care, according to the Australian Antarctic Division; new details confirm the mission occurred near the Antarctic winter solstice under extreme conditions — including -43°C temperatures, near-total darkness, and 8-knot winds — with Skytraders pilots describing it as among the most challenging medevacs ever conducted, and the US National Science Foundation officially thanked Australian and New Zealand partners for their life-saving support.
