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6 clusters · 121 sources · 33 days · First seen · Last updated

Fatal aircraft accidents in Alaska

Overview

A series of fatal aircraft accidents in Alaska has drawn investigation into flight operations and weather-related risks.

In February 2025, Bering Air Flight 445 crashed near Nome, killing all ten people on board. An NTSB investigation concluded the accident was caused by a combination of severe in-flight icing and the aircraft being approximately 991 pounds over its weight limit. The report also cited pilot error in failing to maintain airspeed and criticized the FAA for inadequate oversight regarding the airline’s overweight operations.

In August 2026, a Security Aviation charter Cessna 441 crashed near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board, including two pilots and six passengers. The NTSB reported that the aircraft aborted a landing attempt while navigating solely by instruments due to weather conditions. The plane crashed in mountainous terrain during a second attempt to land on a gravel runway in heavy fog.

On August 26, 2026, a Piper PA-24 crashed into the shallow waters of Seldovia Slough while traveling from Anchorage to Seldovia, killing all four adults on board. The victims were identified as pilot Eric Middlebrook, 68, a former mayor of Bethel, and passengers Ronald Schmidt, 65, Lance Schmidt, 20, and Daniel Simons, 82. Rescuers faced difficulties due to tidal conditions, as the aircraft was submerged in approximately 15 feet of water; authorities recovered the bodies after the tide receded. Preliminary accounts suggest Middlebrook may have been attempting a go-around maneuver during a landing attempt from the north. The NTSB and FAA have launched investigations into the crash. Following these recent tragedies, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan stated that aviation safety and infrastructure remain a primary focus.

Entities

National Transportation Safety Board · U.S. Air Force · Federal Aviation Administration · Security Aviation · Eric Middlebrook

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 10 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Alaska plane crash kills former Bethel mayor and three relatives

    A fatal aircraft crash in Alaska's Seldovia Slough killed four people, including former Bethel mayor Eric Middlebrook and three of his relatives. Federal authorities are investigating the incident.

  2. 16 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 27 sources
    Alaska plane crash near Seldovia kills four people

    Four people, including former Bethel mayor Eric Middlebrook, died after a small plane crashed into the waters of Seldovia Slough, Alaska, on Wednesday. The NTSB is investigating the cause.

  3. 16 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Alaska plane crash kills eight near Cape Newenham radar site

    A charter plane crash near Alaska's Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site killed eight people, including a U.S. Air Force officer, during a second landing attempt in heavy fog.

  4. 20 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Alaska plane crash kills eight near Cape Newenham radar site

    Eight people, including 2nd Lt. Leah Borsich, died when a charter Cessna 441 crashed near a remote radar site in western Alaska. An investigation by the NTSB is underway.

  5. 22 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 92 sources
    Alaska charter plane crash kills eight near Cape Newenham radar site

    Eight people, including two pilots and six passengers, died when a chartered Cessna 441 crashed near a remote military radar site in western Alaska on Thursday.

  6. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 10 sources
    Bering Air Flight 445 crash blamed on overload and severe icing

    The NTSB attributes the Alaska Bering Air crash that killed 10 to severe icing, an overloaded aircraft, pilot airspeed error, and inadequate FAA oversight.

Sources

100percentfedup.com · 2001online.com · abc30.com · abc7ny.com · aerotime.aero · afghanistans.com · alaska-native-news.com · americafirstreport.com · anninhthudo.vn · azeritimes.com · aztecajalisco.com · bolnews.com · brandonsun.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cafebiz.vn · calibre800.com · castanet.net · cbs58.com · cmjornal.pt · cnn.co.jp · cntamaulipas.mx · codigoqro.mx · cybermexico.mx · dailycaller.com · deon.pl · desitalkchicago.com · diario.mx · dvidshub.net · eldia.com.do · elveedordigital.com · elzmannews.com · enikos.gr · epochtimes.com · ertnews.gr · europesays.com · foxnews.com · fr.news.yahoo.com · globalnews.ca · haber7.com · haberaktuel.com · homernews.com · independent.co.uk · index.hu · info.sk · insurancejournal.com · internacional.estadao.com.br · internewscast.com · kalingatv.com

This summary has been updated 6 times: see revision history