OCTOBER 10, 2023:
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Loved ones are remembering a late North Dakota lawmaker and his wife and two children who died last week in a plane crash in Utah. Funeral services were set for Tuesday (Oct. 10, 2023) in Bismarck for state Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife Amy and their sons, 11-year-old Christian and 8-year-old Everett. They died in the Oct. 1, 2023, crash after a refueling stop in Moab. The family was returning from a family gathering in Arizona. The National Transportation Safety Board in investigating the crash of the single-engine air craft, which Doug Larsen was piloting. He had served 29 years with the North Dakota Army National Guard and flew Black Hawk helicopters.
OCTOBER 4, 2023:
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota lawmaker who had recently received his commercial pilot’s license was flying his own small plane home from a family celebration in Arizona when it crashed in Utah, killing him, his wife and their two young sons, family members said Tuesday (Oct. 3, 2023).
It was the first time state Sen. Doug Larsen of Mandan, and his family had flown his single-engine Piper Cherokee to visit his sister in Scottsdale, Arizona. Peggy Steimel said he made the trip so he could be part of her sendoff before she deployed for about a year overseas with the Arizona National Guard.
Larsen had been a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the North Dakota National Guard, and Steimel recalled how he gave her some good advice about how to cope.
“He gave me a hug and we said we loved each other — and said, ‘Stay safe.’”
Larsen, his wife, Amy, and the two boys died later Sunday when his plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a refueling stop at Canyonlands Airfield near the desert recreation town of Moab, Utah. The senator was piloting the plane, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
Steimel identified the sons as 11-year-old Christian and 8-year-old Everett.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, with a preliminary report expected in two weeks.
Federal Aviation Administration records show that Larsen’s Piper PA-28-140, popularly known as a “Cherokee,” was built in 1966. Its airworthiness certificate was renewed in June through 2030, indicating it had passed a safety inspection. The Piper Cherokee family is one of the most widely produced planes in general aviation. Larsen bought it to gain flying experience toward getting his commercial license, close friend Joe Faller said.
Faller, who served with Larsen in the Guard, was best man at Doug and Amy’s wedding and a godparent to Christian. He said Larsen flew him from Minnesota to Bismarck, North Dakota, in his plane last month.
“For the three hours that we were on the plane, that’s all he talked about,” Faller said. “He told me all the things about the plane: exactly how this works, where we were at. He had a passion for that.”
The weather at the time of the crash was mild, with scattered light showers, wide visibility and gentle winds in the area around the airport, according to the National Weather Service. Aerial video posted by KSL-TV of Salt Lake City, Utah, showed the plane went down in a desert area devoid of vegetation, and sustained extensive damage to the nose area and right wing. It came to rest upright.
“He was so careful. When I flew with him, he would check everything before he’d take off. He was very, very serious about that,” said Danielle Hilzendeger, another one of Larsen’s sisters.
Steimel said that during the extended family’s weekend together, they did a family photo shoot, ate pizza from a local restaurant, swam in the pool in her backyard, listened to music by Jimmy Buffet, and played baseball together.
Steimel also said her mom joked that they should prepare a “last meal” of Steimel’s favorite foods before she deployed. So they had a Midwestern-style family dinner with ham, hash brown casserole, broccoli salad and pumpkin pie.
“When I tell you that we had the best weekend together as a family, it truly was — we had so much fun together. We thought we were preparing to say goodbye to me … not Doug, Amy and the boys,” Steimel said in a follow-up message.
Larsen flew Black Hawk helicopters as part of his 29 years of service with the North Dakota Army National Guard, according to Republican state Sens. Jim Roers, a longtime licensed pilot, and Mike Wobbema, a retired military aviator.
A Guard spokesman said Larsen had logged about 1,776 total military flight hours.
Roers said he and Larsen connected over their mutual love of aviation, and earlier this year talked about Larsen becoming a commercial pilot. He said Larsen “absolutely embraced the idea,” and that he then introduced Larsen to a veteran United Airlines pilot and trainer.
Roers said Larsen had recently earned his commercial pilot’s license, and had received at least one job offer from commuter airlines, with a goal of flying for a major airline. An FAA record shows a pilot with the same name and similar flight experience as Larsen had obtained a commercial pilot certificate on Sept. 15.
In the North Dakota statehouse, Rep. Paul Thomas and Sen. Cole Conley offered tributes to Larsen on Tuesday after about 20 lawmakers had gathered for a routine meeting. The room observed a moment of silence.
Thomas and Conley both entered the Legislature in 2020 with Larsen, a fellow Republican, and recounted their early days at the Capitol with him.
Thomas commended Larsen’s North Dakota National Guard career and his service to others.
“Sen. Larsen was what we all here aspired to be as servants to our members and our district as well as our friends and family,” Thomas said.
Conley said Larsen loved to host events, inviting colleagues to his home in Mandan, and cooking tacos, chili and other meals for Senate caucus meetings. Larsen also once offered to find Conley a car when his broke down.
Larsen represented a district encompassing Mandan, which neighbors Bismarck to the west across the Missouri River. He chaired a Senate panel that handled industry- and business-related legislation.
Larsen mobilized with the military twice, to Iraq from 2009-10 and to Washington, D.C., from 2013-14, according to the governor’s office. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Service Star and Army Aviator Badge, among other honors.
He and Amy Larsen owned businesses that included a hotel and a home-building company.
District Republicans will appoint a successor to fill out the remainder of Larsen’s term, through November 2024. Party Chair Sandi Sanford said an appointment will probably come after funeral services, “out of respect.” Larsen’s Senate seat is on the ballot next year.
OCTOBER 3, 2023:
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota lawmakers on Tuesday (Oct. 3, 2023) remembered a late Senate colleague, who died in a plane crash along with his wife and two children, for his service to others and love of hosting events.
State Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife Amy and their two young children died Sunday in a plane crash near Moab, Utah. The plane crashed shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield near the desert recreation town, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. The senator was the pilot, according to the sheriff’s office.
The National Transportation and Safety Board is investigating the crash of the single-engine Piper plane, with a preliminary report expected in two weeks.
The weather at the time was mild, with scattered light showers, wide visibility and gentle winds in the area around the airport, according to the National Weather Service.
State Rep. Paul Thomas and state Sen. Cole Conley offered tributes Tuesday to Larsen before a routine meeting of an interim study committee of the Legislature. The room observed a moment of silence for the Larsen family.
Thomas and Conley both entered the Legislature in 2020 with Larsen, a fellow Republican, and recounted their early days at the Capitol with him.
Thomas commended Larsen’s service to others, including his family and friends and his North Dakota National Guard career.
“Sen. Larsen was what we all here aspired to be as servants to our members and our district as well as our friends and family,” Thomas told about 20 lawmakers gathered for the meeting.
Conley said Larsen loved to host events, inviting colleagues to his home in Mandan, and cooking tacos, chili and other meals for Senate caucus meetings. Larsen also once offered to find Conley a car when his broke down.
His last visit with Larsen was when Conley booked a room at the Larsens’ Bismarck hotel in advance of Tuesday’s meeting. Conley called Larsen for the reservation, who personally booked it.
Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue in an email to fellow senators said the Larsens were returning home from visiting family in Scottsdale, Arizona, and had stopped to refuel in Utah.
Larsen represented a district encompassing Mandan, which neighbors Bismarck to the west across the Missouri River. He chaired a Senate panel that handled industry- and business-related legislation.
Larsen was a lieutenant colonel and 29-year member of the North Dakota National Guard. He and his wife, Amy, owned businesses that included the hotel and a home-building company.
District Republicans will appoint a successor to fill out the remainder of Larsen’s term, through November 2024. Party Chair Sandi Sanford said an appointment will probably come after funeral services, “out of respect.” Larsen’s Senate seat is on the ballot next year.
Gov. Doug Burgum and legislative leaders are preparing to convene the Legislature in Bismarck after the state Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a major budget bill of the state government, calling it unconstitutional in containing multiple, unrelated items in violation of the state Constitution’s single-subject requirement.
OCTOBER 2, 2023:
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A state senator from North Dakota, his wife and their two young children died when the small plane they were traveling in crashed in Utah, a Senate leader said Monday (Oct. 2, 2023).
Doug Larsen’s death was confirmed Monday in an email that Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue sent to his fellow senators and was obtained by The Associated Press.
The plane crashed Sunday evening shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Moab, according to a Grand County Sheriff’s Department statement posted on Facebook. The sheriff’s office said all four people on board the plane were killed.
“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.
A phone message left with sheriff’s officials seeking additional information wasn’t immediately returned Monday.
Larsen was a Republican first elected to the North Dakota Senate in 2020. His district comprises Mandan, the city neighboring Bismarck to the west across the Missouri River. Larsen chaired a Senate panel that handled industry and business legislation.
He was also a lieutenant colonel in the North Dakota National Guard. He and his wife, Amy, were business owners.
Moab is a tourism-centered community of about 5,300 people near Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
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