History of Flight
On December 15, 2016, at about 1500 Alaska standard time, a ski-equipped Piper PA-11 airplane, N5028H, impacted rising snow-covered terrain approximately 40 miles south of Aniak, Alaska. The private pilot and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 and departed from Aniak Airport (PANI) around 1400, destined for an off-airport ski strip near Marvel Creek. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 62, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent third-class FAA medical certificate was issued on March 26, 2015, with a limitation requiring glasses for near vision. No personal logbooks were recovered; the pilot reported 4,500 total flight hours on his last medical application, with 100 hours in the preceding six months.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1949 and equipped with a Lycoming O-320 series engine. Both airframe and engine logbooks were missing and not located after the accident.
Meteorological Information
At 1456, the weather observation at Aniak Airport reported wind from 110° at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 30°F, dew point 30°F, and altimeter setting 30.07 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
On December 17, the NTSB investigator-in-charge and an Alaska State Trooper reached the accident site at about 1400 AST. The airplane impacted the southwest side of Marvel Dome in a near wings-level attitude and came to rest inverted about 20 feet uphill from the initial debris. Due to recent snowfall, no ground scars were visible. The propeller separated at the flange and was found 80 feet uphill; the engine sustained multiple fractures consistent with impact. The wreckage was confined to one area, with the fuselage atop the left wing. Rudder, elevator, and aileron control cables were continuous from cockpit to controls. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination by the Alaska State Medical Examiner determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, with the manner classified as suicide. Toxicology testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for ethanol, drugs, and carbon monoxide.
Additional Information
An Alaska State Trooper incident report listed the pilot's death as a suicide under Incident Activities/Offenses.