Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola, Husband of Alaskan Rep. Dies in Plane Crash

ALASKA – Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola, spouse of Rep. Mary Peltola (D), tragically passed away on Wednesday morning following a crash of the single-engine plane he was piloting shortly after departure in a rugged region of southwestern Alaska, as confirmed by authorities. Widely known and cherished as Buzzy, he was 57 years old.

Reports from the National Transportation Safety Board indicate that Peltola was at the helm and the only person aboard a Piper PA-18 Super Cub which went down under unspecified conditions around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday. He had earlier transported a hunter and their gear to a distant spot 64 miles from the Western Alaska hamlet of St. Mary's. The tragic incident occurred after he took off post the drop-off.

Two hunters present at the crash site rendered first aid, however, Mr. Peltola succumbed to his injuries before rescue personnel could reach him on Wednesday morning, according to their statements.

"After leaving the hunter, the plane took off to return and appears to have crashed in an area of remote, mountainous terrain," said the statement from NTSB spokesperson Sarah Sulick.

The inquiry into the collision is being overseen by the National Transportation Safety Board.

"He was one of those people that was obnoxiously good at everything," Ms. Peltola's chief of staff, Anton McParland, said in the statement. "He had a delightful sense of humor that darkened the lightest moments. He was definitely the cook in the family. And family was most important to him."

Rep. Peltola recently traveled to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One at the president's request to participate in a ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11. The president contacted her on Wednesday to express his sympathies and those of his wife.

"Today, I spoke with her with that world shattered in shock and sadness. To the family – such a loss is cruel and unfair, and the first hours, days, and weeks will be the hardest," the president said in a White House statement.

To Rep. Peltola, President Biden expressed: "We hope you remember that he will always be with you. And we pray the day will come when his memory will bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes. It will take time, but that day will come."

At the moment of the devastating accident, Rep. Peltola was in Washington, D.C. She intends to head back to Alaska, as stated by her congressional office.

In a notable event in September 2022, Rep. Peltola emerged victorious in a special election, thereby becoming the first Alaska Native to represent in Congress and the first woman chosen by her district. She hails from Alaska and was nurtured alongside the Kuskokwim River in communities such as Kwethluk, Tuntutuliak, Platinum, and Bethel.

Peltola had previously helmed the position of regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska from 2018 until 2022. Before this tenure with the BIA, he devoted 34 years to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska. In addition to his service, he functioned as vice mayor and council member for the city of Bethel between 2010 and 2012 and held memberships on several Alaska Native village corporation boards.

On Wednesday afternoon, a statement was issued by the Navajo Nation Council.

"We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Congresswoman Peltola's beloved husband. The Navajo Nation Council offers our condolences and prayers to her and the family. We pray that they can find comfort in knowing that their loved one is now with our Creator. She has been a tremendous advocate on many issues for tribes including the Navajo Nation," Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley said in the statement.