VXE - 6 Antarctic Development Squadron Six ( VXE - 6 or ANTARCTIC DEVRON SIX , commonly referred to by its nickname , The Puckered Penguins ) was a United States Navy Air Test and Evaluation Squadron based Naval Air Station Point Mugu , California with forward operating bases at Christchurch , New Zealand and McMurdo Station , Antarctica . Established at Naval Air Station Quonset Point , Rhode Island on 1 January 1969 , the squadron ' s mission was to provide aviation support for Operation Deep Freeze , the operational component of the United States Antarctic Program . Following the closure of NAS Quonset Point in the 1970s , the squadron relocated to NAS Point Mugu . Using the tail code " JD " , the squadron flew numerous aircraft over the course of its existence . Following the closure of austral summer operations at Amundsen – Scott South Pole Station in February 1999 , the squadron returned to Naval Air Station Point Mugu , California , where it was disestablished on 31 March 1999 . History . On 1 January 1969 , the former VX - 6 ( Air Development Squadron Six ) was redesignated as VXE - 6 ( Antarctic Development Squadron Six ) . Eight months later , on 31 August 1969 , two LC - 130 Hercules aircraft of VXE - 6 arrived at McMurdo Station , 6 weeks in advance of the opening of Operation Deep Freeze 70 . Among the passengers were Rear Admiral David F . Welch , Commander U . S . Naval Support Force Antarctica ( NSFA ) and seven scientists . During Operation Deep Freeze 1978 , VXE - 6 evacuated five critically injured Soviets from the crash site of an IL - 14 Crate transport aircraft at Molodyozhnaya Station on the southern shore of Alasheyev Bight in the Cosmonauts Sea . This trip was 1 , 825 miles round trip from McMurdo Station . On 28 November 1979 , Air New Zealand Flight 901 ( TE 901 ) crashed into Mount Erebus , killing all 257 on board . Three hours later , VXE - 6 initiated the search and rescue effort ( referred to as " Operation Overdue " ) , sending an LC - 130R Hercules ( XD - 01 , BuNo 160741 , c / n 4731 ) and two UH - 1N Huey helicopters from McMurdo Station to search the area of the last known position of TE 901 ( approximately 38 miles true north of McMurdo Station ) . These aircraft were joined a half hour later , at 4 : 16pm by six more aircraft launched from McMurdo Station . LC - 130F ( XD - 03 , BuNo 148321 , c / n 3567 ) No survivors could be seen . At around 9 : 00 am , twenty hours after the crash , helicopters with search parties managed to land on the side of the mountain . The search parties confirmed that the wreckage was from Air New Zealand Flight 901 , and that there were no survivors . In June 2009 , Fifteen U . S . citizens were presented the New Zealand Special Service Medal ( Erebus ) for their work in the body recovery , victim identification and crash investigation phases of Operation Overdue , and resulting from the TE 901 crash . Those receiving the medal included LCDR Reedy Buford , CDR William Andre Coltrin , CDR Paul Richard Dykeman , LCDR William F . Ferrell , LCDR John K . Goodrum , PHAN Charles ( Chuck ) Hitchcock , PH2 Richard L . Horton , ENS George Mixon , CAPT Victor Louis Pesce , CWO Choyce Prewitt , and AD2 Brian Jon Vorderstrasse . In 1988 , another medical evacuation to the South African National Antarctic Expedition ( SANAE ) Station at Vesleskarvet nunatak broke the record for time and distance in a single Antarctic flight . Another highlight of the 1988 season was the recovery of an LC - 130 Hercules that had been buried in ice and snow since its crash in 1971 near Dumont d ' Urville Station . That aircraft was fully restored and operated with VXE - 6 until its disestablishment in 1999 . In 1990 , VXE - 6 moved almost 8 , 000 passengers and over 6 million pounds of cargo which included five resupply flights to Vostok Station . That year , VXE - 6 also accomplished the first wheeled landing of an LC - 130 Hercules on a blue ice surface near Beardmore Glacier . On 25 October 1991 , the first all - female crew took an LC - 130 Hercules to " open up " Amundsen - Scott South Pole Station . 1993 saw VXE - 6 break many records , including the transportation of nearly 9 . 4 million pounds of cargo and fuel . On 3 February 1996 , during the squadron ' s 40th annual deployment to Antarctica , the squadron conducted its last helicopter mission in Antarctica . The helicopter component of VXE - 6 was formally disestablished in April 1996 . 1997 marked the beginning of a three - year program designed to transition United States Department of Defense long - range logistic support for the Antarctic Program from the U . S . Navy to the New York Air National Guard ( NYANG ) . 1998 was marked by the delivery of materials necessary to begin the construction of the new South Pole Station , completed in 2005 . Beginning in 1997 , responsibility for long - range logistical support of Operation Deep Freeze was transferred from the VXE - 6 squadron to the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard ( NYANG ) . The transition was planned over a three - year period to avoid any negative impact on operations and to ensure a complete transfer of knowledge from the U . S . Navy unit to the NYANG . During the 1996 / 1997 season , VXE - 6 operated six aircraft and was augmented by aircraft of the NYANG . VXE - 6 operated five aircraft during the 1997 / 1998 season , and the number of flight hours was divided roughly equally between VXE - 6 and the NYANG . The United States Air Force , via the 109th Airlift Wing of the Air National Guard , officially took over responsibility as the primary Department of Defense partner for the National Science Foundation in support of the U . S . Antarctic Program at the beginning of the 1998 / 1999 season . A new organization , Detachment 13 , was formed to manage the overall support from the Department of Defense . The detachment replaced the NSFA organization . The main organizations under Detachment 13 were the 109th Airlift Wing of the NYANG , the Navy ’ s VXE - 6 squadron , and Aviation Technical Services . For the 1998 / 1999 season , the six LC - 130s of the NYANG were augmented by only three LC - 130 aircraft of the VXE - 6 squadron . Operation Deep Freeze 1999 was VXE - 6 ' s last deployment season in support of the United States Antarctic Program . On 24 February 1999 , following the closure of Amundsen - Scott South Pole Station ' s summer operations , the last three LC - 130R Hercules from VXE - 6 returned to Naval Air Station Point Mugu , California . The squadron was disestablished on 1 April 1999 . Over the course of its existence , VXE - 6 logged more than 200 , 000 flight hours in direct support of United States interests ( primarily scientific research ) in the Antarctic . The squadron transported more than 195 , 000 passengers , delivered over 240 million pounds of dry cargo and nearly 10 million gallons of fuel to numerous sites throughout Antarctica . Aircraft . The squadron operated a variety of aircraft throughout the course of its existence . Fixed - wing aircraft included the Grumman UF - 1L Albatross , de Havilland Canada UC - 1 Otter , Douglas C - 47 Skytrain ( R4D Dakota and LC - 47 models ) , Douglas C - 54 Skymaster ( R5D and C - 54 models ) , Lockheed P - 2 Neptune ( P2V - 2 and P2V - 7 models ) , Lockheed R7 Constellation ( R7D and R7V models ) , and the Lockheed LC - 130 Hercules ( LC - 130F and LC - 130R models ) . Helicopters included the Sikorsky H - 19 Chickasaw ( HO4S - 3 model ) and Sikorsky LH - 34 Seahorse ( HUS - 1A and HUS - 1L models ) , and the Bell UH - 1N Twin Huey . The ski - equipped LC - 130 Hercules , with its long range and heavy load capability , had been in use in Antarctica since 1961 and continues in its critical role to this day . Introduced in 1971 , the twin - engine UH - 1N Huey helicopter allowed for the rapid transportation of field teams and cargo to otherwise inaccessible locations within a 150 - mile radius of McMurdo Station . Aviation accidents and incidents . In the 30 - year history of VXE - 6 , three military personnel and four civilians died in Antarctica as a result of aviation accidents . On 19 November 1969 , a helicopter crash near Mount McLennan resulted in the deaths of two civilians — Jeremy Sykes , an NZARP film director and Thomas E . Berg , a USARP geologist . On 9 December 1987 , an LC - 130R ( BuNo 159131 , c / n 4522 ) crashed while landing at Site D - 59 ( Carrefour ) , 1 , 200 kilometers from McMurdo Station . LCDR Bruce Bailey and AK2 Donald M . Beatty were killed in this crash . Ironically , this mission was an attempt to recover the " City of Christchurch " aircraft that had crashed at the same site in February 1971 . On 31 October 1992 , a UH - 1N Huey helicopter ( BuNo 158249 , c / n 31420 ) crashed in whiteout conditions near Cape Royds , resulting in the deaths of AMS1 Benjamin Micou and two civilians working for NZARP ( Garth Varcoe and Terry Newport ) . In addition to the aforementioned fatality accidents , there were a number of less serious accidents . On 8 October 1970 , a Lockheed C - 121J Constellation ( BuNo " 131644 " , c / n 4145 , named " Pegasus " ) departed Christchurch , bound for Williams Field . Aboard were 12 crew and 68 passengers on the first flight of the 1970 - 1971 season of Operation Deep Freeze . Weather conditions at Williams Field deteriorated during the flight to whiteout conditions , with a fierce snowstorm and zero visibility . After making six low passes over the field , the aircraft attempted to land with 90 degree crosswinds of up to 40 mph . On the second attempt to land , the starboard main undercarriage hit a snow bank and separated . The starboard wing broke off , and the airplane slid through the snow , causing damage to the tail . There were only slight injuries to five people on board . The aircraft hulk is still there . On 1 February 1971 , an LC - 130F ( BuNo " 148321 " , c / n 3567 ) crashed in Victoria Land when a JATO bottle broke loose during an open field takeoff . This caused the nose landing gear to collapse . Two weeks later , on 15 February 1971 , another LC - 130F ( BuNo " 148318 " , c / n 3562 , named " City of Christchurch " ) taxied over a snow berm during a storm while maneuvering for take - off at McMurdo Station . The wing hit the ground , and the aircraft was burned beyond salvage . This was the first USN Hercules written off . On 28 January 1973 , an LC - 130R ( BuNo " 155917 " , c / n 4305 ) crash landed at Amundsen - Scott South Pole Station , after a late go - around in whiteout conditions . The original LC - 130R crashed while landing at Amundsen - Scott South Pole Station in 1973 . In the 1974 / 75 season during an open field takeoff on Dome C a JATO bottle on an LC - 130F came loose and damaged the wing and one propeller thus causing an aborted takeoff . A fire in the wing caused further damage to the wing . An LC - 130R was used in an attempt to rescue the scientists and aircrew . Reluctant to use JATO , the nose gear of the LC - 130R collapsed in the rough ice and snow during the takeoff , forcing the rescue attempt to be aborted . A third LC - 130 finally succeeded in rescuing all of the involved personnel . The National Science Foundation and the U . S . Navy made plans to recover the two downed aircraft during the next season . This involved replacement of the wing on the first aircraft and of the nose landing gear on the second aircraft . Preparations were made during the off - season to accomplish the repairs . After temperatures had risen sufficiently the recovery operations began in November 1975 . Many flights were needed to transport all the material to the Dome C site . As an LC - 130F took off for return to McMurdo another JATO bottle came loose , again damaging a propeller . Thus , Dome C became the home of three damaged LC - 130s . As the damage to the last LC - 130 was relatively minor compared to the others it was repaired first . Through the extraordinary effort of the repair team , maintenance team and aircrews , all three aircraft were repaired and recovered from Dome C . On December 31 , 1993 , an LC - 130 crashed on Lucy Glacier near Mount Isbell in the Geologists Range . The aircraft was retrieving a field party from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee who had spent six weeks investigating the geology in the mountains between the Byrd Glacier and Nimrod Glacier . The crash occurred in soft snow during an open - field takeoff when a propeller struck the snow , sending the propeller into the fuselage . Fuel from the damaged engine ignited , and the plane spun sideways sliding for approximately 200 meters down the glacier before coming to a stop . The plane was overhauled on site and flown back to McMurdo Station three weeks later . 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