Plane that crashed, killing husband of ex-Rep. Mary Peltola, had too much moose meat and was dragged by antlers [View all]

Source: CBS News/AP

July 23, 2025 / 7:39 AM EDT


Juneau, Alaska — A small plane that crashed in 2023 while carrying moose meat for hunters in remote western Alaska, killing the husband of former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, was overweight for takeoff and encountered drag from a set of antlers mounted outside, federal investigators said in a report released Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board, in its final report on the crash that killed Eugene Peltola Jr., who was the only person on board the aircraft, listed several factors among its probable cause findings. They included decisions by Peltola to fly the plane above its maximum takeoff weight and affix a set of moose antlers on the right wing strut that caused a drag, along with turbulent flight conditions in the area.

Downdrafts, "along with the overweight airplane and the added drag and lateral weight imbalance caused by the antlers on the right wing, would likely have resulted in the airplane having insufficient power and/or control authority to maneuver above terrain," the report states.

"Number one was, obviously, the overweight condition — no ifs, ands, or buts there," CBS Anchorage affiliate KYES-TV quotes NTSB Alaska Region Chief Clint Johnson as saying. "The parasitic drag from the antlers that were attached to the right wing, and then also the last thing would be the wind, the mechanical wind turbulence at the end of the takeoff area, which unfortunately, led to this accident. "If you would have been able to take one of those items out, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. But those things all in combination led to this tragic accident."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plane-crash-husband-ex-rep-mary-peltola-moose-meat-antlers-drag-ntsb/