Former Fairbanks state Rep. Mike Kelly dies in plane crash

Former state Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Fairbanks, on Dec. 21, 2010. Kelly died Dec. 7, 2016, as a solo pilot in a plane crash 17 miles southeast of Fairbanks.
Former state Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Fairbanks, on Dec. 21, 2010. Kelly died Dec. 7, 2016, as a solo pilot in a plane crash 17 miles southeast of Fairbanks. (Creative Commons photo by James Brooks)

Former state Rep. Mike Kelly died Wednesday in a plane crash, according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

The crash occurred around 1:30 p.m., 17 miles southeast of Kelly’s hometown of Fairbanks on Fort Wainwright, according to the Alaska State Troopers. The troopers were waiting for the State Medical Examiner’s Office to confirm the identity of the person who died before releasing his identity. But Kelly’s wife Cherie Kelly told the News-Miner he had died.

The pilot was alone, flying a small aircraft, according to the troopers. Kelly was 74 years old.

Kelly was a Republican who served in the legislature from 2005 to 2011. Before then, he was the president and CEO of Golden Valley Electric Association and worked as a commuter airline pilot. His brother Pete Kelly is a state senator and new Senate president.

Former lawmakers who served with Kelly said he was dedicated to the Interior and to the entire state.

Former Sen. Gene Therriault, a Fairbanks Republican, said Kelly was thoughtful and hardworking.

“He was a fisherman, a hunter,” Therriault said. “He really embodied a good, tough Alaskan.”

Former Sen. Gary Wilken of Fairbanks said Kelly’s death was a great loss.

“He was really a mile wide and a mile deep,” Wilken said. “He just had huge arms, a huge heart, and was just continually working to make this a better place.”

A military helicopter happened to be flying in the area when the crash occurred, according to the troopers. The crew heard the downed aircraft’s emergency locator beacon and responded. Military personnel confirmed that the pilot had died.

National Transportation Safety Board officials and Alaska State Troopers planned to arrive on the site of the crash to investigate Thursday morning.

Andrew Kitchenman

State Government Reporter, Alaska Public Media & KTOO

State government plays an outsized role in the life of Alaskans. As the state continues to go through the painful process of deciding what its priorities are, I bring Alaskans to the scene of a government in transition.

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