Four adults died on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, when a small Piper PA-24 aircraft crashed into shallow water in the Seldovia Slough near the coastal Alaska town of Seldovia. Rescuers faced tidal delays reaching the submerged wreckage 136 miles southwest of Anchorage, prompting a federal investigation.
A routine flight from Anchorage to a remote coastal community ended in tragedy Wednesday afternoon when a small plane went down in shallow waters on the southern Kenai Peninsula. The aircraft, a Piper PA-24, took off from Merrill Field Airport and was approaching its destination when it crashed just outside Seldovia, a coastal town located approximately 136 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Seldovia Slough Recovery Operation Delayed by Tides
The aircraft plunged into the Seldovia Slough adjacent to the town’s airport, coming to rest completely submerged in about 15 feet of water. According to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, bystanders attempted to reach the plane prior to the arrival of emergency services but could not access the cabin.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety received notification of the crash at 1:18 p.m. local time. The agency dispatched a helicopter crew from Anchorage alongside wildlife troopers and patrol officers who traveled by boat from Anchor Point aboard the vessel Augustine. Water levels initially thwarted rescue and recovery efforts. Responders had to wait for receding water levels before they could safely reach the aircraft, eventually extracting the bodies of four deceased adults from inside the cabin at approximately 6:30 p.m. as the tide receded.
Investigation Underway as Officials Withhold Victims’ Names
Authorities have transported the remains of the four occupants to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies and formal identification. The Alaska Department of Public Safety stated that the victims’ names will remain withheld until next of kin are notified. Flight records cited by local authorities indicate the aircraft was registered to Eric Middlebrook of Anchorage.
The National Transportation Safety Board has formally assumed leadership of the inquiry into the accident. Investigators plan to examine aircraft maintenance records, pilot qualifications, available flight data, and local weather conditions at the time of the flight. Neither state troopers nor federal investigators have announced any distress calls or preliminary causes.
Broader Aviation Safety Concerns in Isolated Alaska Regions
Because Seldovia is not connected to the state’s road system and remains accessible primarily by boat or air, local residents and visitors rely heavily on small aviation for basic transportation links. The fatal accident marks the state’s second fatal plane accident within a single week, renewing public attention on the hazards of regional air travel.
The crash follows an August 20 accident in western Alaska where a Cessna 441 Conquest II operated by Security Aviation crashed near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site, killing all eight people on board during a second instrument-guided runway approach in heavy fog. Sen. Dan Sullivan addressed the toll on social media.
Federal safety officials will spend the coming weeks examining the physical wreckage and interviewing witnesses in Seldovia as the investigation continues.
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