Urs Locher

Son of Ernst Locher and Lini Locher. Urs Locher was 29 years old, an only child, born in 1950. The son of a Swiss schoolfriend of my father's, Urs had arrived in NZ by boat in 1977. He brought with him his burgundy coloured left hand drive Opel Ascona, the latest European camping gear, and lots of photographic equipment in a silver case. Urs lived at our place until he bought a small house for himself in Kelston, Auckland. A toolmaker, he worked with HMC on Rosebank Rd in Avondale. Through my father Urs had taken up gliding and they were building a glider together in our garage. One of his other hobbies was to take photos of many events in and around Auckland; and he was a keen stamp collector. He spent quite a bit of time with my second cousin Susanne and her husband Heinz Bürgi who had arrived in NZ from Switzerland in 1975. Urs took flight TE901 together with Heinz" - Vivienne Bryner (Oct 2009) via New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association Erebus Website.

On the morning of 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight TE901 left Mangere airport, Auckland, for an 11-hour return sightseeing flight to Antarctica. At 12.49 p.m. (NZST), the aircraft crashed into the lower slopes of Mt Erebus killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board. It was the worst civil disaster in New Zealand's history. Source: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/erebus-disaster