Utah Plane Crash Kills North Dakota Senator Doug Larsen, Wife, 2 Kids

Tragedy struck as North Dakota Senator Doug Larsen, his wife, and two young kids lost their lives in a plane crash following a refueling stop in Utah, AP reports.

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue confirmed Doug Larsen's passing in an email from The Associated Press.

The Utah plane crash occurred on Sunday evening, shortly after takeoff from Canyonlands Airfield, located approximately 15 miles north of Moab, Utah, a desert recreation town.

The Grand County Sheriff's Department reported that Senator Larsen was piloting the small plane, and tragically, all four individuals on board perished.

In his email, Majority Leader David Hogue shared the devastating news, stating that Senator Doug Larsen, his wife Amy, and their two young children were returning home from a visit to family in Scottsdale, Arizona, and had stopped in Utah to refuel.

Emergency responders located the crash site in a remote area bordering the airport, just outside Arches National Park, near the Colorado state line.

Utah Plane Crash Under Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into the crash of the single-engine Piper plane. This was confirmed in a post on social media.

Following Utah plane crash, local authorities swiftly responded to the scene, according to CBS News.

Sheriff's deputies, personnel from the Moab County Fire Department, and paramedics arrived after a medical aircraft had located the downed plane, as reported by the sheriff's office.

An NTSB spokesperson had previously stated that an investigator from the board was anticipated to arrive at the crash site on Monday.

Their primary tasks included documenting the scene, examining the aircraft, securing air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports, and attempting to contact potential witnesses.

The investigator also intended to request the maintenance records of the aircraft, as well as the pilot's medical records and flight history.

Earlier information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) online indicated that the aircraft had crashed under unspecified circumstances after takeoff in Moab, Utah.

North Dakota Senator Doug Larsen had mentioned that his wife had experienced her inaugural flight as a pilot, accompanied by a photograph of a small, orange plane, in a December 2020 Facebook post.

Efforts to gather further information from sheriff's officials via a phone message were not immediately returned as of Monday.

North Dakota Senator Doug Larsen

Doug Larsen's biography on North Dakota's official website indicated that he was married and had three children, per CNN.

Governor Doug Burgum expressed his deep sorrow over the loss, describing North Dakota Senator Larsen as a dedicated individual who had served in multiple roles, including state senator and lieutenant colonel in the North Dakota National Guard.

Larsen, a Republican, represented District 34 in North Dakota, including the city of Mandan, and had served in the state senate since 2021.

Governor Burgum highlighted Larsen's commitment to individual rights and advocacy for the freedoms he defended through his military service.

The vacancy left by Senator Larsen's passing will be filled by District Republicans, who will appoint a successor, completing the remainder of his term until November 2024.

His Senate seat will also be on the ballot in the upcoming year. It's important to note that Republicans hold a significant majority in North Dakota's Legislature, both in the House and Senate.

Moab, Utah, is a community centered around tourism, with approximately 5,300 residents and proximity to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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