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Super Cub plane crushed by Alaska glacierEditor's Note: In May, Bush Pilot did a brief writeup on Bobby Breeden, a teenager from Virginia who had high hopes for his experimental Piper Super Cub in the Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) competition at this year's Valdez Fly-in. Last week, Bush Pilot contributor Rob Stapleton received an email with an account of an unfortunate incident that had befallen that aircraft -- which cost around $150,000 to build. Alaska Airpark owner (and Bobby's dad) Bob Breeden wrote the following account of the accident. I'd like to share a story with you, of a great but wild adventure that I had earlier this summer with my son Bobby. This is just one of the fascinating trips we have been able to take together in Alaska over the years in another Super Cub I'd purchased in 1994, the same year Bobby was born. This trip had a very unexpected ending. In June we were traveling in our latest creation, a highly modified Super Cub that you see in the picture below. Over this previous winter, Bobby and I had the best time putting our heads together calculating, planning and creating this new machine. We completed the plane in April, and I flew it from Maine to Virginia and on to Alaska in time for the Alaska Airmen's Show in Anchorage and the Valdez STOL competition. As a proud Dad, I was thrilled to see my son's months of daily practice pay off, which -- combined with the performance of the new Cub -- enabled Bobby to earn fourth place in the Experimental class of the STOL competition. Fast forward to June: Bobby and I were on a several-week flying adventure, basing out of our home near the Airpark in Sterling, where we returned every few days for rest and resupply before heading out again. The way that Bobby and I used our cabin and strip on this trip, was exactly my vision for the Alaska Airpark. I take delight in all the wonderful experiences in flying Alaska, and I had always wanted to share this with other adventuresome fellow pilots. We had traveled across Cook Inlet to an area south of Mount Redoubt, and landed on the shoulders of two mountains, and hiked the ridges to the summits, seeing the plane far below. On another trip, we flew down the coast to Katmai, camping each night as we went, bears all around and with an electric fence and a 12-gauge with slugs to protect us. Cooking far from camp and cleaning our dishes in the ocean also helped to keep us safe. We found a whale that had been eaten by bear, and many waterfalls to land near and explore -- one of which Bobby rappelled down the cliff next to. One day found us high on the side of Augustine Volcano in steady 25 mph winds coming off the water and blowing up the cone. We braced the plane in place with rocks, and walked a bit to take in the views of the Pacific. Another day we landed at the top of a high canyon wall in Katmai, where we could peer straight down 1,500 feet to the valley floor. Near one landing site on one of our daily walks we discovered bubbling cold water, and further on, a hot spring among the lava, and spent a couple of hours soaking. Each day brought a new discovery. By July 1, and after another stop at our house near the Airpark, we were off and flying in the Wrangell Mountains. I have flown there since 1998. It was the last day before we were headed back to our house to meet company coming to visit, and we had been discovering and landing new landing zones all day, mostly on glacier tops on exposed ice, below the snow level -- which was still around 5,000 feet on the glacier top at this early date in July.
Jolly good show. Anyone else would have to buy the airplane ticket to a show like that, and then might not get there in time for the action. Thanks for taking the time to tell the story for the world. And if obbyscuba reads this, was that trip in a little Luscome, and did you stop by the "Sandvik House", where the Fairbanks adventure crowd and Alaskan Alpine Club climbers had no few parties? Keep on the adventure. Doug Buchanan what a story! Great pictures too. Incredible way to spend time with your son. Wow...just wow! That you and your son made it out intact is the great part... But what a story to share with your family at dinners and holidays...! Thank you for sharing that with us. Back in 1980 this 35 year old woman spent a week flying from place to place in Alaska most outsiders never heard of. Just a gun, a sleeping bag and a credit card for gas. Noatak was one of the "big" places. No digital cameras in those days but I took a lot of pictures that survived the trip. Thirty one years later I rarely look at those pictures but it is quite often that I think about that time and the memories are like they were yesterday. It is a shame your pictures were lost but those are memories neither dad nor Bobby will ever forget. Bob, Thanks for posting your most incredible story. The memories of the summer adventures hopefully offset some of the financial loss of the plane. As you know, having you and Bobby unharmed and put in good care in short order was so fortunate. Thanks for everyone that helped. Will see you guys out and about in the bush..... Scooter |
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