Alaskan Mishaps

This first picture is of a cub down on the Peninsula last year. As you can see, there is no place to land here. That tundra is rough and this guy had landed earlier successfully and set up two tents for a Brown Bear hunt. He is less than 100 yards from the refuge which he does not have permits to hunt in. Inexperience or over confidence got this guy in trouble, he never should have tried to land where he did. Poor judgment. I heard a guy bought this wreck where it was for 15K and spent another 5K to hire a helicopter to fly it out to Neilson Lagoon where it could be picked up by a ship.
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This next picture is a guy that went in to pull a tent the evening before so the bears didn't chew it up. Grizzlies will typically leave a camp alone as long as there are people there. As soon as it's left alone, they are very curious and are looking for something to eat so they investigate everything.
When this guy landed on a gravel bar next to the river, there was a tree trunk embedded in the gravel that was sticking up about three feet. It went up through the gear and flipped him over. We ended up helping this guy remove the prop, wings and dig a hole under the engine so we could flip the plane back over. I heard he got a barge up the river to get the plane out.
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This next set of pics is a guy that just misjudged where he was when he was landing. He was picking up some moose meat, cape, antlers, etc. He hit the pile of meat when he landed and flipped over. Not sure what the outcome of the plane was on this one. But the wings are bent and that's expensive.
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These Super Cubs are the workhorse of the Alaskan bush. Most of these planes where built back in the 50s and 60s. They are not being built anymore however there is at least one company that is building a cub replica, however they cost almost 200,000 dollars. The price of cubs has skyrocketed over the years. Back in the 70?s, my father bought a cub back in PA. for 3K that we restored and flew for many years. Today, you'll spend 80-100K for a decent cub and 175K for a really nice one with all the mods you need to fly around the Alaskan bush, (extended gear, tundra tires at 3K a pair, heavy duty struts, larger motor, extra fuel, belly pod, modified wings, heavy duty tail wheel, and the list goes on.) The places we fly and land are extremely remote with no one there to help you except yourself if you have trouble. The whole key is to not get into trouble.
So if you're ever on a remote fly-out hunt and your pilot tells you the weather isn't good enough to fly or that spot isn't a good landing spot. Believe him and understand he's just trying to save your life.


Colorado Lion Hunt:

Mineshaft Lion Hunt:
http://trophyroom.com/video/lls8ViwJcT

I'm surprised these mishaps don't happen more often given the rough landings.
I guess it's all part of the mystique of hunting Alaska.

Eldorado

many AK bush pilots either use airstrips that have been used for years or scout a suitable location with a heli in the off-season. it goes w/o saying experienced pilots are the most successful eyeing the ground from their fixed wing prior to choosing a suitable piece of ground for landing/take-off. Eventually all pilots suffer a mishap, whether it be their error or mechanical failure. it is all part of the challenge of hunting up here and adds to the excitement! like fullcry said, trust your pilot's judgement. do not question them if they say the weather or ground is no good. they have your life in their hands! cheers and good hunting to you.

Those pictures are eye openers for sure . I'm not real fond of flying in the first place , and then when I think about hidden dangers on a gravel bar .

Thanks for the write up , there was some interesting information on those little planes .

Great stories, Pics and information of the mishaps. Thanks for the post.

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