Accident or airstrip rage?????

onceacop · Post by **onceacop** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:17 pm

(In a nutshell) 2 guys go hunting for Dall sheep on a remote AK strip. They park at the end tucking the planes together. After a successful hunt bagging a 40" ram they hike back down to find their Cubs wrecked. The pilot that hit the parked cubs in another tundra tire cub is also a guide. He claims it was an accident. No note or information was provided to the hunters at the airstrip even though the guy made a succesful landing. Incident was reported to LE and NTSB who were notified by the accident pilot well after. Investigation is pending. Cubs were slung out with a medium lift helicoptor. Anyone hear of something like this ever happening in Canada and how authorities reacted or didn't??

Justwannafly · Post by **Justwannafly** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:25 pm

are those tire marks on the wingz?

onceacop · Post by **onceacop** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:32 pm

Yes big tires

Dog · Post by **Dog** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:34 pm

I'd go shoot the bastard.

sky's the limit · Post by **sky's the limit** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:16 am

After flying for many Outfitters up there, I can definitely see this being deliberate. When it comes to big Dall Sheep, people will go to great lengths to get there first.... At $10,000-20,000USD per hunter, depending on tags, you can see why.

STL

just curious · Post by **just curious** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:40 am

There are still a few outlaw pilots in AK.

How they make a living is to offer "guaranteed" hunts. That is, they will fly someone who wants to shoot Grizzlies Polar Bears, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Moose, Wolves... They will fly them into a spot whcih they have scouted for the client, or worse, just fly around with the client until they se what they want then run it down til it collapses from exhaustion or or the 'Sport' hunter smokes it from the plane.

Then they land, take the Antlers, gall bladder, claws, head and leave most of the carcass behind. Essentially they take the trophy bits for the client and whatever they think they can sell, like bear gallbladders and leave the rest to rot.

Not often, but a couple times I have seen them just landing or taking off just inside the Canadian border east of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. I've taken pics and called it in to the Alaskan wildlife guys, but generally they start running or shooting whenever they are spotted. Oftentimes their registration is altered, covered, or under-sized.

Had these two machines gottten in the way of one of these guys, then yeah bouncing tires off their wings would have been something they wouldn't have thought twice about. Or worse.

Blakey · Post by **Blakey** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:14 pm

Judging from the damage to the yellow Cub, they were hit by an aircraft on the way "out" of the strip. Either that or a very low "inspection" pass. Doesn't sound like an accident to me!

Ditchpig · Post by **Ditchpig** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 10:01 am

There could be more to this than meets the eye. I've seen guys park their aircraft 1/2 way down a short strip to prevent "uninvited visitors" (ie: the Moose & Goose boys). So imagine your surprise when you get to your favorite hunting or fishing spot and can't land. Had it happen to me and you just want to rip the guys arm off and beat him over the head with it. Good thing I'm such a mellow guy...

Too bad the pics don't show anything in the OPPOSITE direction. Could shed some light on this...