What happened
On September 13, 1986, a Piper PA-18 departed Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, at approximately 11:45. The aircraft was en route to a remote, undisclosed hunting camp. When the pilot failed to return for a second trip, an aerial search was initiated on September 20, 1986, one day after the pilot's wife reported the flight overdue. An extensive search was conducted in the area believed to be the accident pilot's intended destination. The airplane was not found until October 6, 1999, thirteen years later, by a pilot scouting for game. The accident airplane was located in an area of steep mountainous terrain, about 3,000 feet msl. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and postimpact fire.
The investigation
The aircraft wreckage was examined in situ upon its discovery in the remote Alaskan wilderness. The location was characterized by steep mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 3,000 feet mean sea level. The extent of the damage indicated a high-energy impact followed by a postimpact fire that destroyed the airplane.
Findings
The primary finding is the aircraft destruction due to impact and subsequent fire in difficult-to-access terrain. The long duration between the disappearance and discovery highlights the challenges of search operations in remote, mountainous regions where weather and topography can obscure wreckage for extended periods.