State Rep. Gary Knopp killed in plane crash near Soldotna airport

A mid-air collision between two small planes near Soldotna this morning killed State Representative Gary Knopp. His death was confirmed in a statement by the State House Majority several hours after the crash. It remains unclear how many other people were on board the two planes. The collision happened around 8:30 Friday morning, about two miles northeast of the Soldotna Airport, and briefly closed part of the Sterling Highway. The FAA says the planes were a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver and a twin-engine Piper Aztec. ADN reports Knopp was a flight instructor and pilot. He represented House District 30, which includes Kenai and Soldotna, after being elected in 2016. He previously had served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. The House Majority says Knopp moved to Alaska in 1979, spending time in Anchorage before moving to Kenai with his wife Helen.