NTSB Factual Report

History of the Flight

On August 18, 1995, about 1430 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper L-21A, N8373H, crashed about 67 miles south of Kaktovik, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight to return from a hunting trip when the accident occurred. The destination was Soldotna, Alaska. The airplane, operated by the pilot, was destroyed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

On August 8, 1995, the pilot and a second airplane, landed in the Aichilik River drainage area to hunt. On August 18, 1995, the accident airplane's pilot departed for Soldotna with a planned fuel stop at Fort Yukon, Alaska. The accident airplane departed the hunting camp located at 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl) in a northerly direction. It then turned southbound and overflew the hunting camp toward higher terrain. The second pilot indicated at that time, the weather conditions were sunny and warm, temperature about 55 degree F, with calm winds. After the accident airplane departed, the second pilot noticed that the wind velocity increased to about 10 knots from the south. The second pilot remained behind to continue hunting. On August 26, 1995, the second pilot also departed for Fort Yukon and flew over the same route as the accident pilot.

The airplane was reported overdue by family members and an alert notice (ALNOT) was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on August 24, 1995, at 1728. A search of the area did not locate the accident site until September 4, 1995, about 1610, when the second pilot returned to the area and located the accident site about 8 miles south of the departure point.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at latitude 69 degrees, 02.73 minutes north and longitude 143 degrees, 24.10 minutes west in remote mountainous terrain about 5,000 feet mean sea level.

Crew Information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. The most recent third-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on January 7, 1994, and contained no limitations.

No personal flight records were located for the pilot and the aeronautical experience listed on page 3 of this report was obtained from a review of the pilot's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City. On the pilot's application for medical certificate, dated January 7, 1994, the pilot indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of about 260 hours, of which 40 were accrued in the previous 6 months.

Aircraft Information

The airplane had accumulated a total time in service of 2,240 flight hours. The most recent annual inspection was accomplished on July 17, 1995, 12 flight hours before the accident.

Wreckage and Impact Information

On September 5, 1995, an Alaska National Guard helicopter transported an Alaska State Trooper to the accident site. The trooper described the accident scene as a steep ravine. The airplane was covered by about 4 inches of snow.

The trooper indicated that the airplane collided with rising terrain, coming to rest upright. The wreckage site was about 700 feet below the top of a mountain pass. The main landing gear was crushed upwards with the right main gear folded under the left side of the fuselage. The wings and wing struts separated from the fuselage and were folded aft. The engine cowling was destroyed. The windshield and the cockpit overhead plexiglass were torn from the fuselage. The trooper noted that the airplane contained about 40 sheep horns and skulls, one grizzly bear hide, and a backpack containing camping and personal items.

On September 6, 1995, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector attempted to reach the accident scene by helicopter. Low ceilings and icing conditions prevented the helicopter from reaching the accident site. On July 22, 1996, the IIC and an FAA inspector attempted another visit to the accident site. Low clouds again prevented the helicopter from reaching the accident site.

On August 12, 1996, an FAA inspector from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), Fairbanks, Alaska, reached the accident site. He reported that the airplane struck rising terrain while the engine was producing power. The propeller bolts were sheared from the engine crankshaft. The airplane's flight controls were intact. The airplane appeared heavily loaded with camping gear, bear hide, and a large bag of sheep skulls and horns.

Medical and Pathological Information

A postmortem examination of the pilot was conducted under the authority of the Alaska State Medical Examiner, 5700 E. Tudor, Anchorage, Alaska, on September 8, 1995.

A toxicological examination conducted by the medical examiner noted that the pilot had an alcohol level of 0.038 percent in the blood. The examiner commented that:..."The blood alcohol concentration is more likely than not due to postmortem production by alcohol as part of the early decomposition process."

The medical examiner elected to not submit samples for a microscopic examination of the pilot to the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) .

Wreckage Release

The Safety Board released the wreckage to the owner's representatives on August 13, 1996. No parts or components were retained by the Safety Board.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain.