On Sunday evening, October 1, a single-engine Piper plane crashed shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield, located about 15 miles north of Moab, Utah.
The accident claimed the lives of all four people onboard. The victims were North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen, who was piloting the plane, his wife Amy, and their two young children. The family had been in Scottsdale, Arizona, visiting relatives and were on their way home. They had stopped in Utah to refuel their plane.
Senator Larsen, a Republican, was elected to the North Dakota Senate in 2020. He played a significant role as the chair of a Senate panel that addressed issues related to industry and business legislation.
Alongside his political career, Larsen also served as a lieutenant colonel in the North Dakota National Guard.
Both Senator Larsen and his wife, Amy, were entrepreneurs. Their commitment to both public service and business has been noted by many in the North Dakota community.
Authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board, are currently investigating the cause of the crash.
