The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded its investigation into the 2023 plane crash that killed Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., husband of former US Rep. Mary Peltola, placing the blame squarely on pilot error.
According to the NTSB’s final report, Peltola’s decision to fly his overloaded aircraft in dangerous wind conditions with unapproved external cargo was the primary cause of the fatal accident on Sept. 12, 2023. The NTSB cited his choice to exceed the plane’s certified weight limits and to fly with moose antlers improperly lashed to the wing strut as key factors leading to a loss of control.
Peltola was ferrying moose meat and antlers from a remote hunting camp about 80 miles northwest of Holy Cross after a group of hunters harvested a moose. After successfully transporting the first load of meat earlier that day, Peltola returned for a second trip, this time with the plane loaded 117 pounds over its certified maximum takeoff weight. The aircraft was so overloaded that even after burning fuel en route, it would have landed nearly 180 pounds over its maximum landing weight.
The runway, located at the crest of a hill, presented additional challenges. Terrain rapidly dropped away to the north before rising sharply within three-quarters of a mile. At the time of the crash, shifting north winds likely provided initial lift but caused turbulence and downdrafts as the heavily burdened plane turned south over the valley, contributing to the crash just beyond the hunters’ view.
The NTSB ruled out mechanical failure, noting the engine was running at full power during the accident. The plane’s airframe, originally manufactured nearly 70 years prior, had been heavily modified over the years. Despite being equipped with numerous FAA-approved alterations, the true flight performance characteristics were unknown, especially when flown over its weight limit.
The report also documented that while carrying antlers externally is common in Alaska, it requires FAA approval—documentation that was absent for this aircraft. Though Peltola suffered from cardiovascular disease, investigators found no evidence that his health contributed to the accident.
The crash occurred around 8:47 p.m., and despite surviving the impact, Peltola succumbed to his injuries within hours due to the severity of the crash and the remoteness of the site. Air National Guard rescuers arrived several hours later, but the cockpit had sustained catastrophic damage, compromising any chance of survival even with safety restraints.
Just four days earlier, Rep. Mary Peltola filed a wrongful death lawsuit on July 18 in Bethel Superior Court. The lawsuit names guide Bruce Werba and his companies—Alaska Pike Safaris, Wilderness Adventures LLC, and Neitz Aviation—as defendants. Peltola alleges that unsafe working conditions, excessive duty hours, overloading, and improper external cargo contributed to her husband’s death.
Peltola would have been notified by the NTSB last week that the report would be released soon; it is standard procedure for the agency to notify next of kin in advance.
The complaint also claims that Peltola was an employee of the companies and was operating the aircraft under a purchase agreement, having made payments on the plane before his death. The lawsuit alleges the defendants failed to provide workers’ compensation insurance and have withheld funds owed to Peltola’s estate.
With the two-year deadline for filing a wrongful death suit approaching, Rep. Peltola seeks damages of more than $100,000 and has requested a jury trial. As of July 22, no court date has been set. The probate case surrounding Peltola’s estate remains open, complicated by ongoing family disputes and unresolved financial claims.
For those of you that didn’t go to law school I am going to explain this in the simplest legal terms possible.
This was an unfortunate accident. Someone died.
Lawyers must make money from it.
Accurate..
It was a PREVENTABLE accident. Pilots have TOTAL say on whether to fly or not. They are completely responsible. This was a series of very poor decisions. It was unfortunate that he paid for those mistakes with his life, but I am glad no other lives were lost along with him.
I guess auctioning off that list of campaign donators didn’t get her quite as much as she wanted.
Not accurate. Mary Peltola must make money from it.
yeah, that pretty much says it.
Scott
You’re VERY CORRECT especially with your last sentence.
When I went to buy a $60,000 plane the insurance quote was $4,000 a year and I couldn’t afford it. The insurance is that expensive because we all have to pay to support people like Mary Peltola that abuse the system.
As someone who is not a fan of Peltola, $345 per month is too much for airplane insurance?
Poor baby.
If you own a comparably valued RV the insurance is also high, but not as high for an aircraft.
The deal is, if your airplane suffers an incident, the odds are far lower that you will harm any other persons or their property.
When your talking $60k for an aircraft, you’re talking anything from a Cub to a very small Cessna.
Ever shop for trucks lately?
$345/mo is there because the market bears it, not because it’s equitable.
There’s something to be said for consistency. She was a loser in Congress, too.
married three times so far… ya gotta wonder….
Still digging for more campaign money She’s right up there with AOC stupid
Clearly a victim. (Sarc)
It’s easy to see that she’s still emotional about this. I would be. Or maybe the cash has run out and this is her best option as explained by some lawyer who thinks he will cash in, too. If this is tried in Bethel, she’s sure to get the local sympathy jury and, cha-thing!cash in.
Don’t be too sure about it being a sure thing… The sentiment out here is not favorable for Mary on social media.
Buzzy, Warba and Neitz have been best friends for over thirty years and picking a jury will be no sure thing, considering these three guys have more friends and family out here than Mary does.
I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this.. Mary Peltola’s husband was the pilot of the aircraft. Petola’s husband loaded the plane himself and because he was a pilot, he understood that bad things happen when planes are loaded past their limits. Peltola’s husband the pilot knew that he had to get a FAA “mother may I” to strap antlers on the outside of the plane and failed to do so. So.. Why is the company at fault…? Naw.. Mary is out money-grubbing. Typical democrat.
“There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots”
As a side note, an NTSB report no matter how damning, is not admissible as evidence in a civil case. This will be an undisclosed out of court settlement with insurance companies.
Real life experience.
If he was an employee, whether or not they purchased workers compensation, the family cannot sue, but would be eligible for workers compensation regardless of fault. So they must not believe he was an employee, but threw that in for inflammatory reasons to see if they can get a jury to “gimmee more.” so if he was at fault and there was not overt negligence on the part of the company I guess it would be wrongful death because they allowed him to fly the plane and be in charge? Sounds more like posturing and hoping they will settle for nuisance.
she’s counting on the infamous, overly generous, “Bethel Jury” to award her undeserved Big Bucks. The pilot alone made the load decisions prior to taking off alone.
She works for a law firm. Of course she’s going to sue.
When we point a finger! we all have 3 of our own pointing back to us. cowards who blame & steal & rig elections suck. Clowns
Her attorney should be sanctioned for filing a frivolous suit.
The company that owned the plane should file a defamation action against her
Clearly it was the fault of the Moose… It should have never gotten on that plane as big as it was… And since it was an Alaska Moose the liability is on the state… ***
Isn’t there a lawyer out there who would represent that moose and its family pro bono for their loss in that crash?
Try Scott Kendall,except for the pro bono part. He only does that to advance socialism
Seems to me that by doing this, Mary Peltola is drawing attention to the fact that her husband was allegedly careless, and/or ignorant, and/or overconfident, and/or incompetent and/or just plain stupid.
so by sueing these folks shes determined that her husbands reputation is only worth what her attorney can bamboozle a jury for.
Nice touch Mary, we always knew you were a real class act!!
The pilot in command has complete control and responsibility for the flight. The suit should be thrown out. Mary is obviously a grifter!
The PIC is ultimately in charge – period! Weather, risks, aircraft performance, weight and balance, aircraft maintenance and compliance with a myriad of safety regulations for the specific aircraft, loading, preflight checks, documentation, and such. That was pounded into my head as a student pilot back in the 70s by a great instructor! The decision to go/not go is ultimately the pilot’s decision and responsibility.
Exactly !!
She’s not a Democrat; she’s something else entirely (and not in a good way) and the Dems saw an opportunity to let her use them to then use her to garner some political power…. akin to some sort of nested Faustian bargain as it were. I don’t think either came out the better for it.
From my reading in other sources, Mary Peltola is suing on behalf of her late husband’s estate for the salvage value he was owed as part owner of the plane, and for the amount of workers compensation that his estate would have been owed if the company owners had paid into the fund as required by federal law. Because of the timing of this second lawsuit, I suspect that the wrongful death lawsuit is rendered moot by the official finding of the cause of the crash.
Peltola’s THIRD husband.
Do stupid shxt, win stupid prizes.
Peltola Herself.
Grifter.
The employers of Mr. Peltola did not provide workman’s compensation insurance while flying their plane as an employee. In that case, when an employee is injured or killed on the job, that employee cannot be blamed whether it is his fault or not.
My guess is that Buzzy was not an actual employee of Werba’s
The most important question: Were the antlers damaged in the crash?
This is nothing more than a money grab by No-show Peltola. What a head shaker.
She’ll get someone from the Northern Project to take the case. They’ll settle out of court.
The pilot has final say in the operation of his craft. Period.
It’s not like he was a new by and didn’t know the risks.
He screwed up, he died. That’s how it is.
Ethically and morally, Peltola’s suit is a lost cause. Legally, well, she’ll make some money. It’s interesting to see how media outlets spin this… it’s almost as if they want people to believe that a ground crew loaded his plane and then put a gun to his head.