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.
"I'm devastated and shocked to learn of the crash that claimed Gary Knopp's life," House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, an independent, said in a statement. "Gary was a one-of-a-kind leader and a true Alaskan who worked tirelessly for his district in the Legislature. He will be missed by many."
