A top North Dakota lawmaker was killed in a small plane crash just moments after takeoff, police said.
Rep. Liz Conmy and a pilot died on Saturday afternoon after the aircraft crashed into a nearby park in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, around noon, state Sen. Tim Mathern told the Star Tribune.
The mother of four was aboard a Beechcraft BE33 on the runway at Crystal Airport when the aircraft suddenly 'couldn't get up in the air,' Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesperson Jeff Lea said, the outlet reported.
Conmy, 67, and the unidentified pilot were pronounced dead after the fiery crash, the Brooklyn Police Department said.
Although authorities have not yet identified either of the victims, Mathern said one of Conmy's family members confirmed to him that she died in the crash.
He also said that the late Democrat had a good friend who is a pilot, and that she flew with them for the past year-and-a-half, according to the report.
'She was a very zest-filled person, and we will all miss her,' Mathern, Conmy's running mate, said of his late colleague.
Horrifying footage captured the moment the aircraft plummeted into the ground, causing a massive fireball.
Rep. Liz Conmy, 67, died in a fiery plane crash on Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Footage showed bright orange flames spark after the plane slammed to the ground
Startled neighbors recalled hearing a loud boom and seeing bright orange flames spark.
'I was in the house, in my bedroom, and my daughter was eating cereal at the kitchen table, and there was a really loud boom,' Ashley Capp, who lives across the street from the crash site, told Fox 9.
Kim Clark, another local whose outdoor surveillance camera captured the crash from across the street, said everyone immediately called the police.
'We look across the street, and it was a huge flame, huge fire. And then everybody started calling 911, and some people were getting close to see if there were [sic] anybody alive.
'But then it kind of started to spark, and the flames started to get bigger,' Clark told the outlet.
Clark added: 'It was scary because it was like, it's really close to my home, and my family stays here.'
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong also confirmed that Conmy was one of the victims in a statement he released after the fatal crash.
'Kjersti and I are saddened by this tragic loss and offer our deepest condolences to her family, friends and fellow legislators. We ask North Dakotans to join us in keeping them in our prayers,' he said.
She served as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives since 2022, representing the 11th district
A local captured the fatal crash on her outdoor surveillance camera from across the street
Another devastating image showed what appeared to be the wheel of the plane thrown on the grass after the collision.
Several people also took to Facebook to share heartbreaking tributes about Conmy.
'I am in utter shock as this is a painful loss for me and my legislative colleagues. Representative Conmy and I had served together for the pass [sic] 4 years,' Rep. LaurieBeth Hager shared.
'She sat directly behind me in the chamber and alongside me on the Education Committee. She brought a JOYFUL spirit to our caucus, every meeting, and the entire legislative chamber. Liz made me laugh regularly and often —which is much needed during session,' Hager added.
The North Dakota House Republican Caucus has remembered Conmy as someone who 'brought not only dedication and integrity to her work, but also a warmth and sincerity that made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of serving with her.'
'Her death is a profound loss for our state. As a lawmaker, she championed public education, the environment, and transparency,' the North Dakota Democratic-NPL posted.
'Liz had a natural ability to make friendships across the political spectrum. We send our deepest condolences to her children, family, and friends.'
Anastassiya Andrianova, another one of Conmy's running mates, also shared a touching post about her.
Anastassiya Andrianova, another one of Conmy's running mates, also shared a touching post about her
Another devastating image showed what appeared to be the wheel of the plane thrown on the grass after the collision
'Representative Liz Conmy was a leader and a friend to all. She was my running mate, and I couldn’t wait to go to Bismarck with her. Liz was a mentor and a role model to me, my husband, and our daughter Freya, whom she knew and adored from birth,' Andrianova wrote.
She served as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives since 2022, representing the 11th district.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the cause of the crash.
When contacted by the Daily Mail, an NTSB spokesperson said it is too early to determine what caused the plane to go down, but an investigator with the agency is expected to arrive at the scene on Sunday 'to document the site and examine the airplane.'
'The aircraft will then be transported to a secure facility for further evaluation,' the spokesperson said.
The Daily Mail contacted the Brooklyn Park Police Department for comment.