What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed on takeoff and was missing, subject of an alnot. Wreckage was located. (.19) on February 7, 1997, about 1000 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Piper PA-18, N121BB, collided with terrain at Circle, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. On February 14, 1997, at 1957, friends and family of the pilot reported to the federal aviation administration (FAA) the pilot was overdue on a flight from Circle City Airport that originated on February 7, 1997. The purpose of the flight was to deliver gasoline cans of fuel to a trapping cabin located in the crescent river/charley river area of the yukon-charley rivers national preserve. Fellow trappers and pilots indicated they became concerned about the flight when the accident airplane did not return to Circle by February 10, 1997. They had been searching for 2 days prior to reporting the flight overdue. The fuel cans were not located at the in tended destination, and no evidence that an airplane had landed was observed. The airplane was located on feb. 16, 1997, about 300 yards southeast of the departure end of runway 15 at Circle. The airplane collided with snow covered terrain in an area of small spruce trees in a near vertical attitude. All of the fuel cans were still located in the airplane. (.4) the pilot departed a remote airstrip with 10, five gallon gasoline cans of fuel. The pilot intended to transport the fuel to a remote trapping cabin. The airplane also contained full fuel (36 gallons) in the airplane fuel tanks, 50 pounds of traps and snares, and 35 pounds of survival equipment. The total (gross) weight of the airplane was estimated to be 1865 lbs; its maximum certificated gross weight was 1750 lbs. None of the cargo items were secured in the rear of the airplane. The airplane did not reach the intended destination, and was reported overdue. It was located 9 days later, about 300 yards southeast of the departure runway, in a steep, nose down attitude. When the airplane was located, all of the cargo items were found piled down and around the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON TAKEOFF AND WAS MISSING, SUBJECT OF AN ALNOT. WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 7, 1997, ABOUT 1000 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A SKI EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18, N121BB, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AT CIRCLE, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. ON FEBRUARY 14, 1997, AT 1957, FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) THE PILOT WAS OVERDUE ON A FLIGHT FROM CIRCLE CITY AIRPORT THAT ORIGINATED ON FEBRUARY 7, 1997. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO DELIVER GASOLINE CANS OF FUEL TO A TRAPPING CABIN LOCATED IN THE CRESCENT RIVER/CHARLEY RIVER AREA OF THE YUKON-CHARLEY RIVERS NATIONAL PRESERVE. FELLOW TRAPPERS AND PILOTS INDICATED THEY BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DID NOT RETURN TO CIRCLE BY FEBRUARY 10, 1997. THEY HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR 2 DAYS PRIOR TO REPORTING THE FLIGHT OVERDUE. THE FUEL CANS WERE NOT LOCATED AT THE IN TENDED DESTINATION, AND NO EVIDENCE THAT AN AIRPLANE HAD LANDED WAS OBSERVED. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED ON FEB. 16, 1997, ABOUT 300 YARDS SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 15 AT CIRCLE. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH SNOW COVERED TERRAIN IN AN AREA OF SMALL SPRUCE TREES IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. ALL OF THE FUEL CANS WERE STILL LOCATED IN THE AIRPLANE. (.4) THE PILOT DEPARTED A REMOTE AIRSTRIP WITH 10, FIVE GALLON GASOLINE CANS OF FUEL. THE PILOT INTENDED TO TRANSPORT THE FUEL TO A REMOTE TRAPPING CABIN. THE AIRPLANE ALSO CONTAINED FULL FUEL (36 GALLONS) IN THE AIRPLANE FUEL TANKS, 50 POUNDS OF TRAPS AND SNARES, AND 35 POUNDS OF SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT. THE TOTAL (GROSS) WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 1865 LBS; ITS MAXIMUM CERTIFICATED GROSS WEIGHT WAS 1750 LBS. NONE OF THE CARGO ITEMS WERE SECURED IN THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT REACH THE INTENDED DESTINATION, AND WAS REPORTED OVERDUE. IT WAS LOCATED 9 DAYS LATER, ABOUT 300 YARDS SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY, IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED, ALL OF THE CARGO ITEMS WERE FOUND PILED DOWN AND AROUND THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.