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North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen, his wife Amy Larsen and their two youngest children died when the small plane that Larsen was piloting crashed on Sunday, October 1, shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield about 15 miles north of Moab.
They were reportedly returning home after visiting family in Scottsdale, Arizona, and had stopped to refuel in Utah. According to the Associated Press, Larsen’s death was confirmed in an email that Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue sent to his colleagues on Monday.
“Senator Doug Larsen, his wife Amy, and their two young children died in a plane crash last evening in Utah. They were visiting family in Scottsdale and returning home. They stopped to refuel in Utah.”
Hogue also extended his condolences to Larsen’s only surviving stepchild, who was not in the plane at the time of the crash.
Doug Larsen and his wife Amy were part of the Home Builders Association in North Dakota
Larsen, who described himself as a Conservative Republican, was elected to the North Dakota Senate in 2020 to serve the Constituents of District 34. Before embarking upon his political life, Larsen served 29 years in the North Dakota Army National Guard after enlisting right out of high school.
In a Facebook post, Tyler K. Needham, who served alongside Larsen, described the late senator as a kind and “amazing” leader, who will be missed.
“I just found out that one of the finest officers I've served with passed away. Doug Larsen who was also a ND State Senator died with his wife and two sons in a plane crash. Please pray for their family. He was a phenomenal person, an amazing leader, and will be greatly missed.”
Larsen and his wife Amy were also business owners. According to a Facebook account, Larsen was also a Realtor in North Dakota. The North Dakota Association of Builders revealed Amy served as a board member of the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association for several years.
The couple reportedly volunteered for various Home Builders Association events. In a Facebook post, the association mourned the death of the Larsens and wrote:
“Our deepest condolences go out to the Larsen family following the tragic loss of ND State Senator Doug Larsen, his wife, Amy Larsen, and their two children.”
In a Facebook post in August 2023, Amy Larsen revealed that her youngest son, Everett Larsen, was starting second grade this year. Meanwhile, her older son Christian Larsen was heading into Middle School.
The North Dakota Republican Party also released a statement on Larsen’s death saying:
“On behalf of the NDGOP, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Larsen family. Senator Doug Larsen (D34) was a man of faith and a patriot who served in the National Guard. His voice will be missed in the North Dakota Senate.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they are investigating the crash of the single-engine Piper PA-28-140 airplane near Moab, Utah.
