No Mechanical Failure in Utah Plane Crash that Killed North Dakota State Senator and Family, Took Off with Runway Lights Off: Investigators

Preliminary Report Reveals No Mechanical Issues Prior to Crash; Senator Doug Larsen, Veteran Pilot and Newly Minted Commercial License Holder, Flew Family's Single-Engine Plane Without Lit Runway Lights in Complete Darkness.

• Investigations of the plane crash that killed North Dakota state Senator Doug Larsen, his wife, and their two sons in October reveal no evidence of mechanical failure. The plane was a single-engine aircraft, piloted by Larsen himself, a veteran pilot and recently minted commercial license holder.
• Security footage from the airport in Moab, Utah, shows Larsen taking off at 8:23 p.m in complete darkness, with the aircraft's lights turned on but the runway lights, which are controlled by the pilot, remaining off.
• The aircraft reportedly climbed to about 200 feet, turned around, and began to descend shortly after takeoff, crashing within minutes. Witnesses and investigators indicate the plane hit a hilltop before crashing about 455 feet away.
• Doug Larsen had a 29-year service history with the North Dakota Army National Guard, during which he flew Black Hawk helicopters and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Service Star, and Army Aviator Badge. He was posthumously promoted from lieutenant colonel to colonel.
• Senator Larsen, who was first elected to the North Dakota Senate in 2020, is succeeded by Justin Gerhardt, a project manager with a construction company and a nine-year veteran of the North Dakota Army National Guard. Gerhardt will serve the remainder of Larsen's term through November 2024.

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