Mel Carnahan

Melvin Eugene Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician. He was born in Birch Tree, Missouri. He was the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. He was a Democrat.
Carnahan was killed in a plane crash near St. Louis, Missouri on October 16, 2000, aged 66.
Carnahan was elected posthumously to the U.S. Senate in November 2000. His widow, Jean Carnahan, held his seat for two years.