- By Sakshi Srivastava
- Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:55 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
On September 12, 2023, a small aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near St. Mary’s, Alaska, killing Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., husband of former US Representative Mary Peltola. The Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub had been on a hunting expedition, transporting moose meat and antlers. A final report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has now confirmed that the aircraft was overloaded, and an improperly secured external load of moose antlers contributed to the crash.
Overloaded With Cargo?
According to the NTSB’s final report released on July 23, 2025, the plane was carrying 520 pounds of cargo, which was 117 pounds (about 6 per cent) over the aircraft’s maximum allowable takeoff weight. The cargo included: Moose meat and set of moose antlers strapped externally to the right wing strut. The report states that the excess weight and aerodynamic drag caused by the antlers degraded takeoff performance, making the aircraft harder to control and contributing to the crash.
Legal But Regulated
In Alaska, it is a common practice to carry moose antlers externally on planes during hunting expeditions. However, doing so requires prior approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “There was no evidence that such approval had been granted for the accident airplane,” the NTSB reported. The “unapproved external load”, combined with overweight conditions and mechanical wind turbulence at the takeoff site, created a dangerous trifecta that ultimately brought the aircraft down.
A 70-Year-Old Aircraft With A Complex History
The Piper PA-18 aircraft involved in the crash was more than 70 years old and had undergone extensive repairs and modifications over its lifespan. The NTSB noted that few original parts remained. While the agency could not determine the direct role of these modifications in the crash, their existence highlighted the aircraft’s complex maintenance background, which occurred before stricter FAA regulations came into effect.
A Life Of Service Cut Short
Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., 57, was a seasoned public servant. He served as the regional director of the Alaska Bureau of Indian Affairs before retiring in 2022. He was flying solo when the crash occurred but had spent the day ferrying hunters and their kill from a remote airstrip in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Although he survived the initial crash, he died within a few hours after hunters attempted to provide first aid.
Legal Action And Allegations Of Negligence
On July 18, 2025, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Bethel Superior Court by Mary Peltola against Bruce Werba and two companies he controls: Alaska Pike Safaris & Wilderness Adventures and Neitz Aviation, Inc.
The suit alleges the companies acted negligently by:
1. Requiring Peltola to fly excessive hours without adequate rest
2. Asking him to fly in unreasonably dangerous conditions
3. Allowing an external load without FAA approval
4. Failing to secure workers’ compensation coverage
The lawsuit seeks at least 100,000 Dollars in damages and demands a jury trial. NTSB Alaska Regional Chief Clint Johnson summarized the incident by pointing to a combination of fatal errors: “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.” Johnson emphasized that removing any one of these three factors might have prevented the crash. But together, they proved catastrophic.
