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National Transportation Safety Board emblem is seen in the National Transportation and Safety Board boardroom in Washington, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) The former mayor of a small town in Alaska, who was an experienced pilot, was among those killed when the small plane he was piloting crashed in shallow waters near a remote Alaskan town. Alaska Department of Public Safety on Thursday identified the pilot as Eric Middlebrook, 68, of Anchorage. It identified the passengers as Ronald Schmidt, 65, Lance Schmidt, 20, and Daniel Simons, 82, and said in its statement that all three were from California. The Piper PA-24 was bound Wednesday for the airport in the small town of Seldovia after taking off from Anchorage when it crashed.
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