MOAB, Utah, Oct. 2, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A North Dakota lawmaker has identified the victims of a Sunday small plane crash near Moab as his colleague, state Senator Doug Larsen, and Larsen’s wife, Amy, and two of their three children.
Larsen’s death was confirmed by North Dakota Senate Majority Leader David Hogue. It was later confirmed by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
The single-engine plane, a Piper PA-28-140, reportedly crashed shortly after takeoff from the Canyonlands Field Airport, north of Moab. The crash was reported to dispatch at about 8:26 p.m.
The Grand County Sheriff‘s office reported early Monday that the rescue effort had determined all four passengers were found deceased.
Larsen, of Mandan, North Dakota, had served as a state senator since 2021.
In a Monday afternoon news conference, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Fabian Salazar said his agency is investigating on scene, as are representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and Piper Aircrafts.
“The NTSB would like to extend condolences to the families and friends who are affected by this accident,” Salazar said. “We’ll be here most of the day today and all day tomorrow to gather factual evidence out of the scene. We’re also conducting interviews. So if there’s anyone out there who may have information they feel is important to the investigation, please contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov” or call the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, he said.
Officials are gathering information about weather and other conditions at the time of the crash. A black box or other recording devices from the plane will be examined, Salazar said.
“Once the information is gathered, we’re going to recover the aircraft to a secure facility where we will continue the investigation. The public can expect a preliminary report in about 14 days, followed by a final report with probable cause and depending on the complexities of the investigation that may go out to a year to 18 months.”
Salazar thanked the sheriff’s office, the Moab Fire Department, the Canyonlands Regional Airport “and the emergency medical services and classic air services for their support.”
Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins, asked about the last plane crash close to this magnitude in the county, said nothing comparable had happened since about 2007 or 2008.
