Four people, including three Californians, died when a small plane crashed into shallow waters near Seldovia, Alaska, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. State troopers identified the victims as pilot Eric Middlebrook, 68, of Anchorage, and passengers Ronald Schmidt, 65, and Lance Schmidt, 20, both of San Jose, California, and Daniel Simons, 82, of Los Gatos, California.
The Piper PA-24 departed from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, bound for the remote town of Seldovia, approximately 135 miles southwest. The aircraft crashed in the Seldovia Slough around 1:18 p.m. local time, coming to rest submerged in about 15 feet of water near the shore.
Middlebrook, a former mayor of Bethel and a pilot with decades of experience in Alaska, was known for flying refrigeration equipment to remote villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. He was originally from Northern California.
Recovery Efforts and Investigation
Authorities had to wait for the tide to recede before they could access the wreckage to recover the four bodies. The deceased have been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsies. Video footage shows the submerged aircraft and subsequent recovery operations, including a helicopter lifting the wreckage the following day.
Witnesses reported hearing the plane before seeing it go down. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. Preliminary information suggests the pilot may have been attempting an aborted landing or climb-out when the plane struck trees before crashing into the water.
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan described the crash as "heartbreaking and unacceptable," emphasizing that aviation safety is a significant concern in the state. The incident occurred less than a week after another fatal plane crash in western Alaska that claimed eight lives.