Don't Let a Hunting Trophy Kill You: The Unseen Dangers of Overloading a Bush Plane
If the weight of bringing home too much meat doesn't kill you, the antlers strapped to the outside likely will.
For many Vermonters, a guided moose or caribou hunt in the Alaskan backcountry is the dream of a lifetime. It’s a significant investment of time and money, culminating in the thrill of a successful hunt. But as the elation settles, a critical and often overlooked negotiation begins—one that takes place not over the price, but over pounds. A recent federal investigation into a fatal crash serves as a stark reminder that when it comes to loading a small aircraft, the laws of physics are absolute, and a hunter's desire to bring home a trophy can inadvertently pressure a pilot into a life-or-death decision.
A Fatal Calculation in the Alaskan Bush
Last September, a Piper PA-18 Super Cub—a legendary workhorse of the Alaskan bush—crashed shortly after takeoff near St. Mary’s, Alaska, killing the pilot, Eugene Peltola Jr. When investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived, they found the wreckage laden with moose meat and a large set of moose antlers strapped to the exterior of the plane. According to the NTSB’s final report, the aircraft was overloaded by at least 117 pounds. The agency determined the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s decision to take off with excess weight combined with the “improperly secured external load,” which created aerodynamic instability from which he could not recover.
Pounds, Physics, and Peril
While a hundred-plus pounds might not sound like much to the average person, in the world of aviation, it’s a critical miscalculation. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an overloaded aircraft requires a longer takeoff roll, has a slower rate of climb, is less maneuverable, and stalls at a higher speed. A stall occurs when the wings can no longer generate enough lift to keep the plane in the air, and an unexpected stall at low altitude is often catastrophic.
The danger in the Alaska crash was compounded by the moose antlers, which were secured to the right wing strut. Aviation experts note that such an irregularly shaped object acts like a sail, creating significant drag and disrupting the smooth airflow over the wing that is essential for generating lift. According to pilot discussions on aviation forums, this kind of asymmetric drag can make an aircraft incredibly difficult to control, especially during takeoff and in gusty conditions—which the NTSB noted were also present that day.
The Pressure of the Prize
This incident highlights a subtle but serious pressure that can exist between a client and a pilot. A comment on a social media forum dedicated to aviation safety noted the potential for hunters to “cajole and shame a pilot into taking a load that is known to be unsafe.” While no hunter intends to create a dangerous situation, the excitement of the moment and the desire to transport their entire harvest can lead to pushy behavior.
For a pilot-outfitter, the dilemma is clear. They are in a customer service business, and their reputation often depends on satisfying their clients. However, they are also commanders of an aircraft, legally and ethically bound by strict weight and balance limitations calculated before every flight.
"Pilots are trained to calculate weight and balance meticulously," one Vermont-based commercial pilot with backcountry experience explained. "It’s not a suggestion; it’s a hard limit. It accounts for the fuel, the passengers, the gear, and any cargo. Exceeding it means you’re flying an aircraft that will not perform as designed."
A Lesson for the Traveling Hunter
While a precise frequency for accidents caused specifically by overloading with game meat is difficult to pin down from public records, weight-and-balance-related accidents are a known and lethal problem. A 2021 study from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University found that while these types of accidents in general aviation are not increasing, they are “significantly more likely to be fatal” than other types of accidents.
The FAA has stringent rules for carrying external loads, which in Alaska are governed by a specific policy, FAA Order 8400.34. The NTSB report on the Peltola crash noted that attaching the antlers to the wing strut constituted a modification that required FAA approval, which had not been obtained. These regulations exist because any change to an aircraft's exterior can have unpredictable and dangerous aerodynamic consequences.
For any Vermonter planning a guided hunt in a remote location, the takeaway is simple: your pilot is your lifeline. The most important part of the trophy is getting home safely to tell the story. Trust your pilot’s judgment implicitly when they say a load is too heavy. The meat or antlers can always be retrieved on a second trip or shipped. Pushing a pilot to bend the rules on weight is not a test of their skill; it is a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of flight that keep everyone in the air.