ANC17FA012

The private pilot and a passenger departed on a flight to an airstrip about 40 nautical miles away. When they failed to return as scheduled, family members notified law enforcement, and the wreckage was subsequently located in an area of snow-covered, rising terrain. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Following a death investigation, the State Medical Examiner classified the manner of death as a suicide.

An incident report from the Alaska State Troopers lists the pilot's death as a suicide under the heading of Incident Activities/Offenses. The airplane was manufactured in 1949 and equipped with a Lycoming O-320 series engine. No airframe or engine logbooks were located for the accident airplane. On December 15, 2016 about 1500 Alaska standard time, a ski-equipped Piper PA-11 airplane, N5028H, sustained substantial damage following impact with rising snow-covered terrain about 40 miles south of Aniak, Alaska. The private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was on file. The flight departed Aniak Airport (PANI), about 1400, and was destined for an off-airport ski strip about 40 miles south of Aniak near Marvel Creek. On December 16, Alaska State Troopers were notified by family members that the airplane did not return as scheduled. The wreckage was located on the southwest side of Marvel Dome at an elevation about 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). A postmortem examination was conducted under the authority of the Alaska State Medical Examiner, Anchorage, AK. The cause of death for the pilot was multiple blunt force injuries, with the manner of death classified as a suicide. The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology testing on specimens from the pilot. Testing was negative for ethanol, drugs and carbon monoxide. The 1456 weather observation at PANI included wind from 110° degrees at 07 knots; 10 statute miles visibility; clear skies; temperature 30°F; dew point, 30°F; and an altimeter setting of 30.07 inches of mercury. The pilot, age 62, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent third class Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate was issued on March 26, 2015, with a limitation that he must have glasses available for near vision. No personal logbooks were located for the pilot. He reported on his last medical certificate application 4,500 hours of total flight experience, with 100 hours in the previous six months. On December 17, the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) and an Alaska State Trooper, arrived at the accident site 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 ft uphill from the first piece of noticeable debris. Due to recent snowfall, no ground scars were visible. The propeller was separated from the engine at the propeller flange and located uphill about 80 ft. The engine was fractured in several places, consistent with impact damage. The remainder of the wreckage was contained at a single location, with the fuselage coming to rest on top of the left wing. The rudder and elevator primary flightcontrol cables were continuous from the cockpit controls to each respective flight control surface. Aileron control cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to each aileron. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.