| Occurrence Type: | Accident |
| Summary: | Mid-air collision |
| Site: | Soldotna, Alaska, United States |
| Coordinates: | 60.4956°N -151.0169°W |
| Total Fatalities: | 7 |
| Total Survivors: | 0 |
| Plane1 Image: | Salt Spring Island Air De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk1 C-FJFL (8027536580).jpg |
| Plane1 Caption: | A de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver also manufactured in 1956, similar to the accident aircraft |
| Plane1 Type: | de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver |
| Plane1 Operator: | High Adventure Air Charter |
| Plane1 Tailnum: | N4982U |
| Plane1 Origin: | Longmere Lake |
| Plane1 Destination: | Cook Inlet |
| Plane1 Occupants: | 6 |
| Plane1 Passengers: | 5 |
| Plane1 Crew: | 1 |
| Plane1 Fatalities: | 6 |
| Plane1 Survivors: | 0 |
| Plane2 Image: | Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser (N3497M).jpg |
| Plane2 Caption: | A Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser similar to the accident aircraft |
| Plane2 Type: | Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser |
| Plane2 Tailnum: | N2587M |
| Plane2 Origin: | Soldotna Airport |
| Plane2 Occupants: | 1 |
| Plane2 Crew: | 1 |
| Plane2 Fatalities: | 1 |
| Plane2 Survivors: | 0 |
The 2020 Alaska mid-air collision occurred at approximately 8:27 a.m. on July 31, 2020, when a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver collided with a Piper PA-12 over the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, approximately two miles northeast of Soldotna Airport, near mile 91.5 of the Sterling Highway.[1] Most of the wreckage landed about 200yd from the road. Alaska State Representative Gary Knopp was piloting one of the aircraft and was killed in the accident.
All six occupants of the Beaver were killed as a result of the collision.[2] Five died instantly, while the sixth person succumbed to their injuries during transport to the local hospital.
Gary Knopp, the pilot and sole occupant of the Piper, also died at the crash location. He was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 2016 and had been a long-time flight instructor and pilot. In his honor, Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered U.S. and Alaska state flags to be flown at half-staff for three days.
The Beaver, manufactured in 1956[3] and operated by High Adventure Air Charter on lease from Soldotna Aircraft & Equipment Leasing LLC, was traveling from Longmere Lake to Cook Inlet for a fishing trip.[1] [4] [5] [6]
The Piper, manufactured in 1946, was privately owned by Knopp[7] and departed from Soldotna Airport en route to Fairbanks. Knopp had been denied a medical certification in June 2012 for vision problems; after an appeal, the denial was upheld in July. In addition, although the Piper was registered to Knopp as N2587M, it had the aircraft registration number N1904T painted on the plane's exterior. N1904T had been reserved by Knopp but was not valid, causing the aircraft to be misidentified initially as a Piper Aztec.[8] [9]
National Weather Service (NWS) reports from the Soldotna airport for Friday morning showed clear visibility, with broken clouds at 10000feetand4500feetft (andft).
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash. A preliminary report was issued in August 2020. The two aircraft had taken off at the same time (8:24 a.m. ADT) from separate locations and collided three minutes later, at an altitude of approximately . A witness stated he saw the Piper, traveling north, strike the rear fuselage of the Beaver, traveling west; after the impact, he saw what he thought was the Beaver's left wing separate from the aircraft, which entered an uncontrolled spin before crashing to the ground. Paint transfer from the Piper was found on the rear fuselage of the Beaver.[10]
On December 6, 2022, the NTSB released is final report on the collision stated that the probable cause is to be attributed to the pilots of both aircraft who failed to comply with the see and avoid rule. Factors that are contributed to the collision were the decision of the Piper PA-12 pilot to fly despite his recognized severe vision problem which led to the rejection of his recent request for medical certification and the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to request adequate airborne traffic advisory systems with aural alerting among operators who carry passengers for charter.[11]