Overview

• The Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub departed above its certified maximum takeoff weight after Eugene Peltola Jr. strapped unweighed moose meat aboard.
• Investigators found that a set of antlers mounted on the right wing strut generated aerodynamic drag and caused a dangerous lateral imbalance.
• There was no record of an FAA-approved external cargo modification for the antler mount, a required safety clearance.
• Downdrafts in the hilly terrain near St. Mary’s compounded the overloaded, imbalanced aircraft’s inability to gain altitude.
• The crash site’s remote location, about 400 miles from the nearest hospital, delayed medical assistance and contributed to the pilot’s death.