Probable cause
The pilot's intentional flight of the airplane into terrain in an act of suicide.
NTSB analysis
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.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC17FA012 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Dec 16, 2016
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Aniak, Alaska
- Highest injury
- Fatal
- Fatal injuries
- 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA 11
- N-number
- N5028H
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1949
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.