Peter Mahon (judge)

Sir Peter Thomas Mahon (27 June 1923 – 27 October 1986) was a New Zealand judge of the High Court, best known for his controversial report on the 1979 Air New Zealand Flight 901 crash on Mount Erebus, Antarctica.

Mahon served as a judge of the High Court of New Zealand from 1961 until his resignation in 1982. Prior to his judicial appointment, he was a prominent barrister.

His investigation into the Erebus disaster, officially titled the Report of the Royal Commission to Inquire into the Crash on Mount Erebus, Antarctica, concluded that the crash was caused by a change to the flight path the night before the flight without informing the crew. He famously stated that Air New Zealand's evidence was an "orchestrated litany of lies" intended to cover up the airline's culpability.

Mahon's report was met with strong opposition from Air New Zealand and the New Zealand government. A judicial review overturned his findings of a cover-up, stating that Mahon had breached natural justice by making findings of perjury against the airline's witnesses without giving them a proper opportunity to respond.

Despite the overturning of specific findings, Mahon remained convinced of his conclusions regarding the cause of the crash and the subsequent attempts to obscure the truth. He later published a book, Verdict: The Crash on Mount Erebus, defending his findings and criticizing the handling of the investigation by the airline and the government.

Mahon's career was significantly affected by the Erebus controversy. He resigned from the High Court in 1982. His handling of the Erebus inquiry remains a subject of debate in New Zealand, with some viewing him as a courageous seeker of truth while others criticize his judicial conduct. He was knighted in 1986, shortly before his death.