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The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Too much moose meat was factor in plane crash that killed Alaska lawmaker's husband
Antlers strapped to a wing and too much moose meat on board caused a small plane crash that killed the husband of then Alaska Democratic congresswoman Mary Peltola in 2023, according to a US national transportation safety board (NTSB) report that was recently released. Though the report doesn't name him, Eugene 'Buzzy' Peltola Jr was the pilot and lone person on the Piper PA-18 plane involved in the deadly wreck, which occurred near St Mary's, Alaska, on 12 September 2023, officials had previously said. Peltola Jr, 57, had taken some hunters to a remote wilderness area where they killed a moose, said the NTSB report published Tuesday. When the crash that ended his life happened, the report said, he was flying alone while carrying enough moose meat to push the plane past 'its maximum certified gross weight' by nearly 120lbs. The doomed pilot had also installed 'an unapproved external load' – in his case, antlers tied to the right wing strut – at the time the plane went down. Peltola Jr ultimately ended 'degraded takeoff performance and flight characteristics', leading to his losing control of the plane, shortly before the fatal wreck, NTSB investigators said. As the NTSB recounted, it was his second trip flying moose meat that day. Peltola and the hunters had loaded an initial batch of meat on the plane that afternoon, and he had uneventfully ferried it to a local airport. He flew back to the hunters about four hours for what was supposed to be a second and final load of moose meat. The group strapped into the rear passenger seat as well as packed it into the airplane's belly pod, 'which did not have tie-down provision', the 16-page NTSB report noted. Peltola Jr then tied moose antlers to the right wing strut, the report said, leaving them 'cupped upward and perpendicular to the direction of flight'. The report said the pilot had weighed the cargo with scales, and it turned out the plane was 117lbs – roughly 6% – over its maximum takeoff weight. Investigators wrote that the hunters watched Peltola Jr as he evidently struggled to take off and were relieved at first to see his plane become airborne, watching it vanish from view behind a ridge. But the plane did not reappear from behind the ridge and 'had crashed just beyond their view in the opposite direction of takeoff,' the NTSB report recounted. Two hunters provided first aid to Peltola Jr, who the NTSB said initially survived the crash. However, he died from his injuries within hours, according to the agency. Peltola Jr was the former Alaska regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He had also spent more than three decades working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and he served as vice-mayor and council member for the city of Bethel, Alaska. Shortly after her husband's death, Mary Peltola's chief of staff at the time, Anton McParland, said in a media statement that Eugene was 'completely devoted' to his family. 'And he simply adored Mary,' McParland's statement said. Peltola became the first Alaska Native in Congress when she won her US House seat in a special election and then retained it in the 2022 midterm elections, twice beating the former governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. She lost her November 2024 re-election bid to Republican opponent Nick Begich III and is now the senior director of Alaska affairs at the Holland & Hart law firm.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Bizarre reason for Alaska plane crash that killed congresswoman's moose hunter husband revealed
A plane crash that killed a congresswoman's hunter husband was caused by the aircraft being overloaded with moose meat and the unapproved installation of antlers on the right wing, a report has found. Eugene 'Buzzy' Peltola Jr., 57, was killed nearly two years ago when his plane crashed about 65 miles northeast of the small western Alaska community of St Mary's. The small Piper PA-18 Super Cub had taken off from a remote hunting camp but went down shortly after takeoff on September 12, 2023. Peltola, whose wife Mary Peltola was a congresswoman at the time, was found conscious but died at the scene. He was the only person on board the aircraft. Federal investigators have now revealed the plane was overweight for takeoff and encountered drag from a set of antlers mounted outside, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a report released Tuesday. The avid moose hunter was a former Alaska regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and worked for decades for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. He received his commercial pilot's license in 2004, requiring him to use corrective lenses at all distances, according to an FAA database. His death came almost exactly a year after his wife was sworn in as Alaska's lone US House member, following a special election for the seat. A small plane crash that killed Eugene 'Buzzy' Peltola Jr. was overweight for takeoff and encountered drag from a set of antlers mounted outside, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined Peltola was killed when his small Piper PA-18 Super Cub crashed shortly after takeoff on September 12, 2023, about 65 miles northeast of St Mary's, Alaska Peltola flew the plane above its maximum takeoff weight and affixed a set of moose antlers on the right wing strut that caused a drag, along with turbulent flight conditions in the area, the NTSB report states. Downdrafts, 'along with the overweight airplane and the added drag and lateral weight imbalance caused by the antlers on the right wing, would likely have resulted in the airplane having insufficient power and/or control authority to maneuver above terrain,' the report states. The Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub crashed Sept. 12, 2023, northeast of the small western Alaska community of St Mary's. Peltola had days earlier taken five hunters, a guide and equipment from the community of Holy Cross to an airstrip at St Mary's. The group set up camp next to the runway, which was near hilly terrain and about 70 miles northwest of Holy Cross, the agency said. The day before the crash, the group got a moose and made plans with Peltola, via satellite messaging devices, for him to transport the meat, the NTSB said. On the day of the crash, Peltola had already picked up a load of meat and had returned for another. He did not use scales to weigh the cargo, the agency said. Mary Peltola and her husband Eugene Peltola celebrate after results showed her to be the apparent winner in Alaska's special US House election on August 31, 2022 The Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub crashed Sept. 12, 2023, northeast of the small western Alaska community of St Mary's Two hunters were at the site when the crash occurred and provided aid to Peltola, but he died of his injuries within about two hours. 'Given the remote location of the accident site, which was about 400 miles from a hospital, and accessible only by air, providing the pilot with prompt medical treatment following the accident was not possible,' Tuesday's report states. The agency said carrying antlers on the outside of a plane is a common practice in Alaska but requires formal approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, with a notation in the plane's logbooks. 'There was no evidence that such approval had been granted for the accident airplane,' the report states. Eugene was laid to rest at Bethel Memorial Cemetery in September 2023, where several Alaska bush planes conducted a flyover in a missing man formation. Mary stood nearby stoic and clutching an American flag as loved ones delivered their tributes to her late husband. After the service concluded, the casket was opened for a community viewing and one by one, everyone in attendance waited to say their final goodbyes. Mary Peltola, (pictured with Eugene) was the first Alaska Native in Congress. She won a full, two-year term in November 2022 but lost her reelection bid last November. She has kept a relatively low public profile since then The congresswoman personally thanked everyone as they filed by. Mary Peltola, who is Yup'ik, was the first Alaska Native in Congress. She won a full, two-year term in November 2022 but lost her reelection bid last November. She has kept a relatively low public profile since then.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- The Independent
NTSB: Heavy plane, drag from antlers contributed to crash that killed ex-Rep Mary Peltola's husband
A small plane that crashed in 2023 while carrying moose meat for hunters in remote western Alaska, killing the husband of former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, was overweight for takeoff and encountered drag from a set of antlers mounted outside, federal investigators said in a report released Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board, in its final report on the crash that killed Eugene Peltola Jr., who was the only person on board the aircraft, listed several factors among its probable cause findings. They included decisions by Peltola to fly the plane above its maximum takeoff weight and affix a set of moose antlers on the right wing strut that caused a drag, along with turbulent flight conditions in the area. Downdrafts, 'along with the overweight airplane and the added drag and lateral weight imbalance caused by the antlers on the right wing, would likely have resulted in the airplane having insufficient power and/or control authority to maneuver above terrain,' the report states. The Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub crashed Sept. 12, 2023, northeast of the small western Alaska community of St. Mary's. Peltola had days earlier taken five hunters, a guide and equipment from the community of Holy Cross to an airstrip at St. Mary's. The group set up camp next to the runway, which was near hilly terrain and about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of Holy Cross, the agency said. The day before the crash, the group got a moose and made plans with Peltola, via satellite messaging devices, for him to transport the meat, the NTSB said. On the day of the crash, Peltola had already picked up a load of meat and had returned for another. He did not use scales to weigh the cargo, the agency said. Two hunters were at the site when the crash occurred and provided aid to Peltola, the agency previously reported. Peltola died of his injuries within about two hours, the agency said. 'Given the remote location of the accident site, which was about 400 miles from a hospital, and accessible only by air, providing the pilot with prompt medical treatment following the accident was not possible,' Tuesday's report states. The agency said carrying antlers on the outside of a plane is a common practice in Alaska but requires formal approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, with a notation in the plane's logbooks. 'There was no evidence that such approval had been granted for the accident airplane,' the report states. Peltola was a former Alaska regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and worked for decades for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He had received his commercial pilot's license in 2004, requiring him to use corrective lenses at all distances, according to an FAA database. His death came almost exactly a year after Mary Peltola was sworn in as Alaska's lone U.S. House member, following a special election for the seat. Mary Peltola, who is Yup'ik, was the first Alaska Native in Congress. She won a full, two-year term in November 2022 but lost her reelection bid last November. She has kept a relatively low public profile since then.
