Twenty-five years after one of this country's worst plane crashes, one survivor says it is still the defining moment of his life.
Ansett 703 went down just outside Palmerston North, killing four of the 21 people on board.
But despite the tragedy, William McGrory calls it a miracle - and to this day still wonders exactly how he and others survived.
"That little knoll on the hill saved our lives," he recounts. "I remember every moment of the crash and what happened and how the fuselage split in front of my eyes."
On this day 25 years ago, terrible weather conditions, faulty landing gear and pilot error - among other factors - combined to bring down Ansett flight 703.
With debris spread across the Tararua Range foothills, it's hard to imagine anyone walking away from the crash.
But 17 people somehow survived - and a lot of that is thanks to a Nokia phone, which proved to be a lifeline. McGrory managed to find it and call 111.
"I got somebody who asked if I wanted fire, ambulance or police and I said just give me everything and told them what happened," he tells Newshub.
The next call was to his wife, which he remembers was a little more frustrating: "She didn't have it turned on so I had to leave a message."
But things were about to go from frustrating to desperate.
With visibility down to almost zero and faulty transponders, the rescue teams couldn't find the wreckage of the De Havilland Dash 8.
For 45 minutes he spoke with Air Traffic Control helping to guide in the helicopters.
"It was absolutely critical that we found them as soon as we were able - and without William's help, it wouldn't have happened," former air traffic controller Tony Chapman remembers
Chapman visited McGrory in Palmerston North hospital the day after the crash, and they still keep in touch.
"I've never had a feeling like it before - the frustrating thing was I was sitting there and trying to reach out for you."
But not everyone was so fortunate. Four people died, including Reg Dixon, who was badly burnt while freeing other passengers. Two weeks later he died from his injuries and was awarded the New Zealand Cross, our highest award for civilian bravery.
Legal battles followed, and Ansett settled out of court.
"At the end of the day they blamed it on the pilot," McGrory said.
"There was a lot more in there than just the pilot's fault - their training programme was average, their repairs on their planes were pretty average - so they didn't accept any of that and got away with it really."
The crash and the aftermath have taught both men invaluable life lessons.
Chapman says there's "not an anniversary that goes past that I don't get deeply affected by", while McGrory says he's learned that ultimately, "you are responsible for your actions".
"You can make things happen by doing something and the belief you can make a difference," he says. "I believe I've made a difference to a lot of people's lives over the years just from that lesson that day."
His motto? Out of the wreckage of life, good can come.
