04 October 2023 , 22:25
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A state senator who died alongside his family in a plane crash had recently got his commercial pilot's license.
North Dakota Republican senator Doug Larsen was flying the single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft with his wife Amy, and their two sons, Christian and Everett, on Sunday when the plane crashed in Utah shortly after having stopped to refuel.
Larsen and his family had visited Scottsdale, Arizona, for a sendoff ahead of the lawmaker's sister Peggy Steimel's deployment for a year overseas with the Arizona National Guard. Steimel said it was the first time Larsen, of Mandan, and his family had flown the plane to visit her.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a refueling stop at Canyonlands Airfield near the desert recreation town of Moab, Utah. Federal Aviation Administration records show that Larsen’s aircraft was built in 1966, with its airworthiness certificate renewed in June through until 2030.
Close friend Joe Faller said Larsen bought the plane to gain flying experience toward getting his commercial license, and had recently taken a journey as a passenger with him. Larsen flew a Black Hawk helicopters as part of his 29 years of service with the North Dakota Army National Guard, according to Republican state Senator Jim Roers - who said Larsen had only recently earned his commercial pilot’s license.
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North Dakota Republican senator Doug Larsen was flying the single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft with his wife Amy, and their two sons, Christian and Everett (Facebook)Roers said Larsen had also received at least one job offer from commuter airlines, with a goal of flying for a major airline, reports The Public Radio. Doug Larsen's death was confirmed in an email that Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue sent to his fellow senators.
"Senator Doug Larsen, his wife Amy, and their two young children died in a plane crash last evening in Utah," Hogue wrote in his email. "They were visiting family in Scottsdale and returning home. They stopped to refuel in Utah."
"I'm not sure where the bereavement starts with such a tragedy, but I think it starts with prayers for the grandparents, surviving stepchild of Senator Larsen, and extended family of Doug and Amy," Hogue wrote. "Hold your family close today." The crash of the single-engine Piper plane was being investigated, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X, the social media website formerly called Twitter.
Roses were left on the Senate desk at the state Capitol in memory of him and his family (AP)Larsen was a Republican first elected to the North Dakota Senate in 2020. His district comprises Mandan, the city neighbouring Bismarck to the west across the Missouri River. Larsen chaired a Senate panel that handled industry and business legislation.
Larsen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in communication arts and political science from Minot State University. Alongside his political career, he served for 28 years in the North Dakota Army National Guard, where he held the rank of lieutenant colonel and served as the commander of the 112th Aviation Battalion.
Beyond his military service and political engagements, Larsen was a businessman. He owned Apex Builders, a company specializing in home building and development, and also operated a Wingate by Wyndham hotel franchise in Bismarck, North Dakota. Additionally, Larsen held a real estate license.
Roses were left on the Senate desk at the state Capitol in memory of him and his family.