Federal transportation officials say windy conditions caused the 2023 plane crash that killed famed Alaska pilot Jim Tweto and his passenger.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report on the crash Tuesday.
According to the report, 68-year-old Tweto was operating a Golden Eagle Outfitters Cessna 180H on June 16, 2023, ferrying hunters from a camp in the Norton Sound community of Shaktoolik back to Unalakleet about 35 miles away. Tweto took off with one of the hunting guides, 45-year-old Shane Reynolds of Orofino, Idaho. The report says that, shortly after takeoff, other guides on the ground noticed the plane did not continue to climb after dipping below a nearby ridge.
NTSB Alaska chief Clint Johnson said Tweto encountered some heavy tailwind conditions upon taking off.
“There were some gusty winds that unfortunately got them going down the left side of that spine, or that ridgeline,” Johnson said. “The airplane wasn't quite ready to fly, and unfortunately, the horizontal stabilizer ended up impacting a tree, which rendered it useless.”
The plane crashed in the valley below, killing both Tweto and Reynolds.
Tweto was a nationally recognized bush pilot known for his appearances on the Discovery TV show “Flying Wild Alaska.” The report on the crash notes that he had more than 27,000 hours of recorded flight time across his decades in the field.
Johnson said the conditions that led to Tweto’s death were hazardous for even the most seasoned pilots.
“I've been doing this job a long, long time, and I unfortunately investigated accidents with 100-hour pilots and 28,000-hour pilots,” Johnson said. “And I guess at the end of the day, nobody is immune is what I've learned, unfortunately.”
Johnson expressed his condolences to the Tweto family, and says he hopes the final report brings them closure.
