JUNE 5, 2015
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
UPDATE 1:30 p.m.: Clark J. Baldwin, 62, of Wasilla, a
well-known pilot and flight instructor, was killed Thursday morning when he was
struck by the propeller of his plane, National Park Service spokesperson Robyn
Broyles told Channel 2 News.
Baldwin, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States
Air Force and owner of the Alaska Club Training Specialists flight school, was
teaching a class at the Peavine bar strip about 15 miles east of McCarthy
Thursday morning, Broyles said.
"Baldwin was the only operator of the plane at the time
and was instructing a small group of pilots when he got out of his plane was
struck and killed by the propellers of his plane," Broyles told Channel 2
News.
According to Broyles, Baldwin's students contacted emergency
medical services around 11 a.m. with a satellite phone.
The death is being investigated as an accident.
Baldwin owned and operated Alaska’s Cub Training Specialists – a
flight school based in Wasilla with his wife, Sandy. He was a retired
lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force and “spent 35 years in aviation,”
according to his company’s website.
ORIGINAL STORY: A pilot is dead Friday after being hit by
the propeller of his plane, officials of the National Transportation and Safety
Board say.
NTSB officials were notified of the man's death around 5:30
p.m. Thursday in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Clint Johnson, Alaska chief of NTSB told Channel 2 News that
the plane involved was a Piper PA-18 Super cub.
"Our understanding is that the pilot was getting ready
to depart, the plane was idling and he got out of the plane to load some bags
when he inadvertently walked around the plane into the propellers and was
killed," Johnson said.
According to Johnson there were four other planes at the
strip at the time of the fatality, which took place around 11 a.m.
Thursday.
"We will be investigating it, as is our duty, but we
won't be sending an investigator out there," Johnson said. The National
Parks Service will leading the investigation into the pilot's death.
The events leading up to the pilot's death are still being
investigated and there are few other details at the time.
To quote an age old saying, "aviation in itself is not
inherently dangerous, but to an even greater degree than the sea, it's terribly
unforgiving to any carelessness, incapacity or neglect." RIP
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Date:
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05-JUN-2015
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Time:
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11:00
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Type:
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Piper PA-18-125 Super Cub
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Owner/operator:
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Alaskas Cub Training Specialists LLC
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Registration:
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N1325A
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C/n / msn:
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18-1139
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Fatalities:
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Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 0
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Other fatalities:
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0
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Airplane damage:
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Unknown
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Location:
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Peavine Bar Airstrip east of McCarthy, AK - 
United States of America
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Phase:
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Standing
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Nature:
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Training
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Departure airport:
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Destination airport:
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Peavine Bar Airstrip
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Narrative:
The pilot experienced an inadvertent contact with the operating propeller of
the pilot's standing aircraft at the Peavine Bar Airstrip in the Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park & Preserve east of McCarthy, Alaska. The airplane
sustained unknown damage and the sole pilot not onboard received fatal
injuries.
Sources:
http://www.aviationsafety.com
http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/pilot-dead-thursday-after-walking-into-propeller-of-plane-in-alaska-national-park/33425172
https://www.adn.com/article/20150605/ntsb-wasilla-pilot-killed-propeller-wrangell-st-elias-national-park
http://www.ktva.com/wasilla-flight-instructor-killed-by-propeller-of-his-own-plane-380/
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N1325A.html
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/upload/Airstrips-Booklet.pdf
