LOS ANGELES: A small plane crash in Alaska that killed its pilot in 2023 was caused by an overload of moose meat and antlers strapped to the wing, according to a US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released this week. Eugene Peltola died after his Piper PA 18-150 Super Cub, carrying over 500 pounds (225 kilograms) of moose meat, crashed near St Mary’s in southwest Alaska.
The report found the aircraft was more than 100 pounds over its takeoff weight when departing a remote airstrip in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Additionally, moose antlers attached to the right wing strut worsened aerodynamics, making flight control difficult.
Clint Johnson, NTSB Alaska Region Chief, cited three key factors: “Number one was, obviously, the overweight condition — no ifs, ands, or buts there. The parasitic drag from the antlers that were attached to the right wing, and then also the last thing would be the wind, the mechanical wind turbulence at the end of the takeoff area, which unfortunately, led to this accident.”
Peltola was the husband of former US Representative Mary Peltola, the first Alaska Native in Congress. She won a 2022 special election against Sarah Palin but lost her re-election bid in 2024. – AFP
