Husband to Rep. Democratic Mary Peltola was transporting more than 500 pounds of moose and antlers from a remote hunting camp in Alaska when her small plane crashed shortly after takeoff earlier this month, officials said.
Eugene Peltola Jr., 57, the sole occupant of the Piper PA-18, was found conscious but dead at the scene after it crashed on September 12 near the village of St. Mary’s, about 500 miles west of Fairbanks, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its initial report Thursday.
Two days before the crash, Peltola brought five hunters, guides and equipment from Holy Cross to a site about 80 miles northwest of the community, where they set up camp next to a landing strip.
The hunter caught a moose and sent a message to Peltola via satellite to fly it back to Holy Cross the next day, when he took a load of meat and then returned briefly, according to the report.
Eugene Peltola Jr., husband of Rep. Mary Peltola, was transporting a 520-pound moose when her plane crashed, said the NTSBNTSBThe Piper Super Cub flown by Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr. NTSB
One of the hunters estimated there was 50 to 70 pounds more meat on the second than the first. The total payload for the second trip was about 520 pounds, according to the NTSB.
Peltola, who tied the horn to the right wing strut, was told the wind that day was stronger at the end of the runway, the report said.
“The meat was strapped to the rear passenger seat area with both seat belts and straps and loaded into the belly of the airplane, which had no tie-down provisions,” the NTSB said.
Democratic Representative Mary Peltola and her late husband, Eugene, REUTERS
“The hunter noticed that the ground roll was slightly longer than before, and the airplane seemed more ‘calm’ than during the previous flight,” according to the agency.
“They stated that, as the airplane reached the end of the runway, it climbed and turned sharply to the right but, instead of climbing as before, the airplane flew behind the adjacent ridgeline and was invisible,” the report said.
Site of fatal plane crash.NTSB
After the plane crashed, one of the hunters found him still conscious and activated the SOS feature on his satellite device. But Peltola died from his injuries within two hours of the accident.
One of the hunters recorded video of the ill-fated takeoff but not the impact, the NTSB said.
Peltola, also known as “Buzzy,” is Mary’s third mate and will be by her side in 2022 when she unseats former Republican Gov. Sarah Palin to become Alaska’s first woman in the House of Representatives.
He served as Alaska regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 2017 to 2022 after a three-decade career in the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
A final report with findings of probable cause could take up to two years, the NTSB said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
