Seven killed, including state lawmaker, as two planes collide in Alaska

A midair plane collision in Anchorage on Friday (July 31) killed seven people, including a state lawmaker who was piloting one of the aircraft, Alaska officials said.

There were no survivors of the crash near the airport in Soldotna, a city on the Kenai Peninsula, the Alaska State Troopers said in a written statement.

State Rep. Gary Knopp, who represented the area, was alone in one of the planes. The other plane was carrying four tourists from South Carolina, a guide from Kansas and a pilot from Soldotna, the troopers said.

All seven victims were pronounced dead at the site except for one person who died while being transported to a hospital, according to the troopers.

Crash debris fell on a highway, which was shut down briefly out of safety concerns.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified one of the planes as a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

Knopp, 67, was a Republican and a member of the state House bipartisan majority.

The other victims were identified as pilot Gregory Bell, 67, guide David Rogers, 40, and the South Carolina visitors: Caleb Hulsey, 26; Heather Hulsey, 25; Mackay Hulsey, 24; and Kirstin Wright, 23.

(Source: Reuters)

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