Cherokee Down At Moab Airport, 4 Dead

[PHXPhlyer]

Plane crash near Moab kills North Dakota state senator, his wife, 2 children
The plane had just taken off, a witness said.

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/plan ... -children/

A North Dakota state senator, his wife and two of their children died Sunday night when the small plane they were traveling in crashed just north of Moab, according to The Associated Press.

Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins confirmed two of the four people on board who died were children, but he did not immediately release further details. None had been identified by local authorities as of Monday morning.

The Associated Press identified the victims Monday as Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife Amy Larsen and two of their children, citing an email from North Dakota state Republican Senate Majority leader David Hogue that the news organization obtained. Hogue did not immediately respond to The Salt Lake Tribune’s request for comment Monday afternoon.

Doug Larsen’s online legislative biography states that he had three children. The third child was not on board, preliminary information indicates.

“They were visiting family in Scottsdale and returning home,” Hogue’s email stated, according to The Associated Press. “They stopped to refuel in Utah.”

Upon arrival, sheriff’s office deputies and Moab Valley firefighters determined the four people aboard the plane were dead, according to authorities.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, including what may have caused it, according to a post the agency made to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday morning.

The aircraft that wrecked was a Piper Cherokee, a small single-engine plane, according to NTSB. Federal Aviation Administration records show that Doug Larsen was the registered owner of a Piper Cherokee.

At the time of the crash, the National Weather Service reported clear skies and light winds in the area.

Larsen’s North Dakota legislative colleagues began sharing condolences online Monday morning.

Rep. Matt Heilman, a Republican representing the state’s District 7, said just before noon, “I am incredibly saddened by the unexpected passing of State Senator Doug Larsen. Senator Larsen was the first legislator I talked to about running for office in 2021. He had a stellar voting record, supported my campaign, and was a great man to say the least.”

Rep. Brandon Prichard, a Republican representing the state’s District 8, wrote, “Today, I am saddened by the loss of my friend Senator Doug Larsen. Doug was a fighter through and through. He had big things ahead of him.”

Both lawmakers linked in their posts to a news article reporting Larsen’s death.

Larsen, a Republican, represented North Dakota’s District 34, which is west of Bismarck and includes the town of Mandan, where his legislative biography states he lived.

He described himself as self-employed and was elected to the senate in 2021. He had served 28 years in the North Dakota Army National Guard, according to the biography.

Further information was not immediately provided.

PP