Pilot dies near Wolf LakeBy JOHN DAVIDSON-Frontiersman reporterMAT-SU Ñ The pilot of a home-built biplane was apparently killed in a crash shortly after take-off Wednesday morning in the Aero Subdivision near Wolf Lake, according to Alaska State…
Pilot dies near Wolf LakeBy JOHN DAVIDSON-Frontiersman reporterMAT-SU Ñ The pilot of a home-built biplane was apparently killed in a crash shortly after take-off Wednesday morning in the Aero Subdivision near Wolf Lake, according to Alaska State Troopers. The aircraft was piloted by Marty Palmer of Wasilla.Eyewitnesses reported the aircraft took off at the end of the airstrip as normal, but quickly banked hard to the right and crashed into the trees 200 to 300 yards beyond the end of the runway.Clint Johnson, investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the aircraft was a single-engine, home-built Sorrell Hiperbipe plane with double wooden wings and a steel frame covered by fabric. The aircraft caught fire when it crashed and was almost entirely consumed in flames, leaving few clues as to the cause of the crash. Palmer had topped off the aircraftÕs fuel tanks before taking off, according to troopers. The cause of the crash has not been determined and the investigation is continuing.Palmer, 43, was an aircraft mechanic for Wick Air and had been logging flight hours for the aircraftÕs owner, Dr. Donald Hudson of Anchorage. Mel Wick of Wick Air Inc. in Wasilla said Palmer had recently completed the federally required hours of proving runs near airports. A vehicle registered to Palmer was found next to the planeÕs hanger at the Wolf Lake airstrip.The victimÕs remains were sent to the state medical examinerÕs office in Anchorage to establish positive identification using dental records.Mat-Su firefighters remained on the scene to assist troopers and extinguish a small fire caused by the crash.
