From the NTSB’s final determination on the September 2023 crash that killed Eugene Petola, husband of now-former Alaska Congresswoman Mary Petola: “The pilot ferried a group of hunters into a remote wilderness area over the days leading up to the accident flight. The hunters then killed a moose, and the pilot ferried the first of two loads of meat back to the departure airport.”

“The first ferry flight was uneventful, with the airplane departing to the north before initiating a climbing right turn toward the destination. During the second flight, the airplane was more heavily loaded with meat and the pilot had mounted a set of moose antlers to the right wing strut.”

“The hunters observed that the accident takeoff was more labored than before; the airplane took off in the same direction, and they watched as it rolled to the right after rotation and flew out of sight behind an adjacent ridgeline. They were all initially relieved that the airplane had managed to become airborne, but it did not reappear from behind the ridge, and had crashed just beyond their view in the opposite direction of takeoff. The initial takeoff phase of both the accident and a previous flight were captured on video. Audio analysis of the recordings indicated that the engine was operating at the same high power setting during both flights; it was not trailing any smoke or vapor. Post-accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the cargo at the accident site indicated that it was still secured within the airframe, but was not secured within the cargo pod. Review of the takeoff video indicated that the airplane did not pitch up aggressively enough during the takeoff to have caused the unsecured meat in the cargo pod to shift. The antlers were still secured to the right wing strut and did not impede any of the flight control cables,” the report continued.

It goes on for some considerable length about the moose meat and antlers.