PILOT INSTRUCTOR DEAD AFTER WALKING INTO THE PROPELLER OF A PIPER PA-18-125 SUPER CUB PLANE AT THE PEAVINE BAR AIRSTRIP IN THE WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE EAST OF MCCARTHY, ALASKA

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

Date:	05-JUN-2015
Time:	11:00
Type:	Piper PA-18-125 Super Cub
Owner/operator:	Alaskas Cub Training Specialists LLC
Registration:	N1325A
C/n / msn:	18-1139
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 0
Other fatalities:	0
Airplane damage:	Unknown
Location:	Peavine Bar Airstrip east of McCarthy, AK -   United States of America
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	Peavine Bar Airstrip

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