Another Deadly Alaska Plane Crash Kills 4, Second Fatal Aviation Disaster in Less Than a Week
SELDOVIA, Alaska — August 30, 2026 — Alaska is mourning another aviation tragedy after a small plane crashed into shallow water near the remote coastal community of Seldovia, killing all four people aboard.
The crash occurred on Wednesday, August 26, less than a week after another aircraft went down at a remote military radar site in western Alaska, killing all eight people aboard. Together, the two crashes claimed 12 lives within days.
Plane Crashed Into Seldovia Slough
According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Alaska State Troopers were notified of the crash at approximately 1:18 p.m.
The aircraft was a Piper PA-24 traveling from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage to Seldovia, a small community roughly 135 miles southwest of Anchorage.
The plane crashed into Seldovia Slough near shore and became completely submerged.
NTSB Alaska region chief Clint Johnson said the aircraft came to rest in approximately 15 feet of water. Because of the tide, responders had to wait for the water level to fall before they could reach the aircraft.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., troopers were able to recover four adults from inside the plane. All four were deceased.
Authorities Identify the Four Victims
The Alaska Department of Public Safety subsequently identified those killed as:
- Eric Middlebrook, 68, of Anchorage — pilot
- Ronald Schmidt, 65, of San Jose, California
- Lance Schmidt, 20, of San Jose, California
- Daniel Simons, 82, of Los Gatos, California
Authorities said their next of kin had been notified.
Middlebrook was also a former mayor of Bethel, Alaska, and an experienced pilot who had flown for decades to remote communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. He previously served on the Bethel City Council and became mayor in 2006.
Second Deadly Alaska Crash in Less Than a Week
The Seldovia tragedy came less than a week after another devastating aviation accident in western Alaska.
In that earlier crash, a charter aircraft carrying eight people went down near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, approximately 450 miles west of Anchorage. All eight people aboard were killed.
Federal investigators later said that aircraft crashed while making its second attempt to land in heavy fog, with the pilots unable to see the gravel runway.
The two separate disasters have therefore resulted in 12 deaths in less than a week.
What Caused the Seldovia Crash?
At this point, investigators have not announced a cause.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and is investigating what led the Piper PA-24 to crash into the water.
That means reports circulating online should not attribute the Seldovia accident to weather, mechanical failure, pilot error or another specific cause unless investigators later provide evidence supporting such a conclusion.
Aviation Is Critical to Life in Alaska
The two disasters have renewed attention on aviation safety in Alaska, where aircraft are essential for connecting many communities that cannot easily be reached by road.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski noted after the Seldovia crash that Alaska’s enormous distances and limited road connections make aviation especially important to residents across the state.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan also said he expected briefings from federal aviation investigators following the latest tragedy and described aviation safety and infrastructure in Alaska as a continuing priority.
For Seldovia, meanwhile, the crash has had a particularly painful impact. The small community said local residents and first responders immediately stepped in to assist following the accident.
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing, and further information about the aircraft’s final moments and the cause of the crash is expected as investigators examine the evidence.
