Minneapolis — A small plane crashed just after takeoff from Crystal Airport north of Minneapolis on Saturday, killing a North Dakota lawmaker and the pilot, authorities said.
North Dakota Rep. Liz Conmey, of Fargo, died in the crash, her colleague, state Sen. Tim Matherne, told the Star Tribune.
The nonpartisan Democratic League of North Dakota, an affiliate of the national Democratic Party, confirmed Conmee’s death in a social media post, calling her a champion of public education, the environment and transparency.
“We are deeply saddened and deeply saddened by the loss of Rep. Liz Conmey. Her death is a terrible loss to our state,” the party said in a post on X’s website.
Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Matt Rapp said officers responded to a report of a small plane crash at 11:51 a.m. and found a plane that had crashed and caught fire in a park in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, shortly after takeoff.
Rabe said the plane crashed shortly after take-off. He did not mention the number of people on board the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that two people were on board the plane.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash of a Beech F33A plane and expects investigators to arrive at the scene soon.