Bay Area residents among four killed in Alaska plane crash near Seldovia

Four people died when a Piper PA-24 crashed into shallow water near Seldovia, Alaska, after departing Merrill Field in Anchorage: pilot Eric Middlebrook, 68, and three Bay Area residents—Ronald Schmidt, 65; Lance Schmidt, 20; and Daniel Simons, 82—whose bodies were recovered from the submerged wreck; the NTSB is investigating, with preliminary info suggesting an aborted landing or climb-out and a tree strike; the crash drew condolences from Alaska officials, and follows another fatal Alaska crash earlier in the week.