CHRISTCHURCH - Potentially life-saving drugs and medical equipment were airdropped at the South Pole last night during a daring mercy flight for an American woman with suspected breast cancer.
Six bundles on pallets were dropped from a C-141 Starlifter, in icy temperatures averaging minus 67 deg C, but they were picked
up speedily.
"We were all very happy at how quick they were on the ground as there is a risk of them [the equipment] freezing," said Colonel Richard Saburro of the United States National Science Foundation.
Staff at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station had five to seven minutes to pick up the bundles before they froze.
The bundles were packed with drugs, equipment, fresh fruit, vegetables and mail.
The 47-year-old researcher discovered the breast lump while wintering over at the station, where astronomers study the universe.
There is one doctor and a simple clinic at the base.
The plane made two passes about 300m over the drop zone, said Captain Bill Barksdale from McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington.
Typically, such airdrops do not damage the freight, but the bundles fell quickly to the cold, hard ground, even with parachutes.
"It was kind of an unconventional drop compared to what we usually do," he said.
The aircrew had to find the parachute drop point in the dark of the polar winter and shove the pallets out a side door before dwindling fuel supplies forced the plane to head back to Christchurch. It was due back early today.
The Starlifter was refuelled about five hours into its 9655km-round trip by an accompanying KC-10 tanker aircraft.
The planes took off from Christchurch on the mercy flight at 10 am yesterday with 25 personnel on board, including double air crew for the long flight and a doctor.
The physician was necessary in case the crew suffered hypothermia when the side doors were opened for the drop.
The pallets were marked with strobes and chemical lights to help the base staff locate them in near- total darkness.
The runway was illuminated by a half-circle of flaming barrels to guide the air crew.
Two full sets of supplies, including 180kg ultrasound scanners, other diagnostic equipment and medicine, were dropped so at least one full set hopefully landed undamaged.
It is mid-winter at the South Pole and the earliest aircraft can land there is late October, when the long dark winter comes to an end. - NZPA
