4 killed in fiery plane crash near South Carolina airport

UNION, S.C. (WBTV) - Four people were killed in a plane crash in Upstate South Carolina late last week.

The crash happened when a Mooney M20J airplane went down near the Union County Airport, just before 7 p.m. on Friday, April 17.

A preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane crashed “under unknown circumstances,” and that a post-crash fire ensued. The FAA report said there was a pilot and three crew members onboard.

Sister-station WHNS reported that all four people on the airplane died. They were:

• 60-year-old James Moffatt (pilot)
• 61-year-old Leasa Moffatt
• 30-year-old Andrew Moffatt
• 28-year-old William Moffatt

WHNS reported all four people were from Alabama. The station did not say how, or if, they were related.

The Union County, S.C. coroner told WHNS that before the fatal crash, the four people on the plane had stopped to refuel prior to the deadly impact. The FAA’s preliminary report said the crash happened during the initial climb after takeoff.

It was not immediately clear what caused the plane to crash.

FlightAware records showed the airplane had flown into South Carolina from the Raleigh Executive Jetport.

WHNS reported that crews had to use a bulldozer to get to where the plane went down.

Multiple fire trucks, Union County deputies and Union County paramedics were all called out to the airport.

In addition to local officials and the FAA, WHNS said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was also investigating.

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