Authorities say a Sunday evening plane crash in east-central Utah killed North Dakota Republican State Senator Doug Larsen of Mandan, his wife Amy and their two young children.
North Dakota Senate Majority Leader David Hogue notified colleagues of the accident via email this (Mon) morning.
The Larsens were the only ones aboard the plane.
According to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office in Moab, Utah, the single-engine Piper plane crashed shortly after taking off from an airfield about 15 miles north of Moab at about 8:30 PM.
Hogue’s email said the Larsens were visiting family in Arizona and returning home. They had stopped to refuel in Utah.
The NTSB says the crash is being investigated.
Larsen was self-employed and a 28-year member of the North Dakota Air National Guard. He served District 34 in Mandan as a state Senator since 2021.
Hogue said Larsen also had a stepchild who was not on the plane.
Republican state Sen. Scott Meyer of Grand Forks, who sat behind Larsen in the Senate, remembered him for his unique and dry sense of humor, candor on issues and passion for flying. He recalled a Saturday afternoon in the Senate chamber when Larsen talked with fellow senators for roughly an hour about flying planes and working on his private pilot’s license.
“He was passionate about flying. He really was,” Meyer said.
District Republicans will appoint a successor to fill out the remainder of Larsen’s term, through November 2024. His Senate seat is on the ballot next year. Republicans control North Dakota’s Legislature with supermajorities in the House and Senate.
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(KNOX/KFGO/AP)
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(Statement from Gov. Burgum’s office:)
Gov. Doug Burgum and Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard, released the following statements today regarding the deaths of state Sen. Doug Larsen of Mandan, his wife, Amy, and their two young sons, as a result of a plane crash Sunday in Utah. Larsen was a 29-year member of the North Dakota Army National Guard and had served in the state Senate since 2021, representing District 34.
“First Lady Kathryn, Lt. Gov. Miller and I are deeply saddened by the heartbreaking loss of Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife, Amy, and their two young sons. Sen. Larsen was a father, husband, coach, entrepreneur, businessman, state senator and lieutenant colonel in the North Dakota National Guard who committed himself fully to each of those roles with an unwavering sense of honor and duty,” said Burgum, commander-in-chief of the North Dakota National Guard. “As a legislator, he was a tenacious advocate for individual rights and the freedoms he defended through his military service. We extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to his family and friends and join his legislative colleagues, National Guard brothers and sisters and the Mandan community in mourning the tragic passing of Sen. Larsen and his family.”
Larsen enlisted in the North Dakota Army National Guard on March 14, 1994, as a combat engineer. He completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and was appointed as a commissioned officer on Aug. 18, 2001. He served as an engineer officer and later became an aviation officer on Oct. 19, 2006. Larsen was mobilized twice: once in 2009-2010 to Iraq as the company commander for Charlie Company of the 2-285th Assault Battalion, and again in 2013-2014 to Washington, D.C., in support of Operation Noble Eagle with the 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Battalion. He earned numerous honors and awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Service Star and Army Aviator Badge.
“I am saddened by the loss of Doug Larsen, his wife Amy, and their two sons. I cannot think of a more tragic loss for one family, and the North Dakota National Guard sends our condolences to all of their friends and family,” Dohrmann said. “Doug was a true patriot who dedicated his life, both in and out of uniform, to serving others. I had the distinct pleasure to call him a Brother in Arms.”
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Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement honoring the memory of North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen, his wife, Amy, and their two children.
“Mikey and I send our deepest condolences to the Larsen family following this tragedy. We honor their memory and dedication to their community, state and nation. For nearly 30 years, Doug served as a member of the National Guard, protecting our country both at home and abroad, and his family served right alongside him as he answered the call. We join the Mandan community in mourning their loss and offer our prayers on behalf of all their friends and loved ones.”
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Statement from Sen. Kevin Cramer:
“Kris and I are saddened by the tragic passing of North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen, his wife Amy, and their two children. My prayers are with their loved ones.”