THE ALASKA STORY
Sept. 16, 2026 — A small plane that crashed into Seldovia Slough last month, killing a former Bethel mayor and three passengers, made a series of hard bounces on the airport’s short gravel runway before the pilot applied full power and attempted to climb away, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Piper PA-24-260 Comanche crashed Aug. 26 after arriving in Seldovia on a day trip from Merrill Field in Anchorage. Pilot Eric Middlebrook, 68, of Anchorage, and passengers Ronald Schmidt, 65; Lance Schmidt, 20; and Daniel Simons, 82, all of California, were killed.
Middlebrook previously served on the Bethel City Council and was selected by the council to serve as mayor in 2008.
According to the NTSB, the airplane approached Seldovia Airport’s Runway 16 and appeared to be moving fast. A witness at the airport heard a series of bounces that he described as hard and abnormal.
“The first bounce was loud and not a normal touchdown sound,” the report stated. The witness heard a second hard bounce and then saw the third, during which he believed the airplane’s nosewheel struck the ground first.
The witness then heard the engine go to full throttle as the airplane pitched sharply upward, possibly striking its tail on the runway.
Another witness operating heavy equipment near the end of the runway saw the airplane flying unusually low just beyond the runway. Multiple witnesses reported hearing the engine running loudly and seeing the airplane strike a tree before descending into Seldovia Slough.
The NTSB report also noted that Middlebrook attempted to land in the opposite direction from other airplanes using the airport at the time.
Weather observations at the airport showed wind from 020 degrees at 5 knots, gusting to 9 knots. That wind direction generally favored landing on Runway 34 rather than Runway 16, the direction used by the accident airplane.
Seldovia Airport has a 1,845-foot gravel runway. The Federal Aviation Administration’s airport chart warns of substantial trees near both ends. On the departure path from Runway 16, the chart identifies trees reaching 158 feet approximately 1,735 feet beyond the runway and 110 feet left of its extended centerline.
The airplane struck a tree and came to rest in the slough about 2,200 feet beyond the end of Runway 16. It was submerged in approximately 15 feet of water near shore.
Troopers and other responders were unable to reach the occupants immediately because of the water depth and changing tide. The four bodies were recovered after the tide receded that evening.
The airplane, registration number N9485P, was substantially damaged. The flight was being conducted as a personal flight under federal aviation regulations.
The NTSB said a detailed examination of the wreckage is pending. The preliminary report presents information collected during the early stages of the investigation and does not establish the probable cause of the crash. A final report is expected after investigators complete their examination and analysis.
