Accident Overview
On July 31, 2020, at approximately 0827 Alaska daylight time, a de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane, registration N4982U, and a Piper PA-12, registration N2587M, collided near Soldotna, Alaska. The collision resulted in fatal injuries to the pilot of the PA-12, the pilot of the DHC-2, and the five passengers aboard the DHC-2. Both aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Flight Paths
The DHC-2, operated by High Adventure Charter as a Part 135 on-demand charter flight, departed Longmere Lake near Soldotna at about 0824, bound for a remote lake on the west side of Cook Inlet to transport passengers to a fishing location. The PA-12, operated by a private individual as a Part 91 personal flight, departed Soldotna Airport (PASX) at about 0824, destined for Fairbanks, Alaska. Flight track data indicated that the DHC-2 was traveling northwest at a groundspeed of about 78 knots, gradually climbing through approximately 1,175 ft mean sea level (msl) when it crossed the Sterling Highway. The PA-12 was traveling northeast at about 1,175 ft msl and about 71 knots, north of and parallel to the Sterling Highway.
Collision
The airplanes collided about 2.5 miles northeast of Soldotna Airport at an altitude of approximately 1,175 ft msl. A witness near the accident site observed the DHC-2 traveling west and the PA-12 traveling north. The witness saw the PA-12 strike the left side of the DHC-2's fuselage toward the rear. Following the impact, the DHC-2's left wing separated, and the airplane entered an uncontrolled descending counterclockwise spiral before disappearing from view. The witness did not see the PA-12 after the collision.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane. Contributing factors were the PA-12 pilot’s decision to fly with a known severe vision deficiency that had resulted in denial of his most recent application for medical certification, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s absence of a requirement for airborne traffic advisory systems with aural alerting among operators who carry passengers for hire.