April 21, 2026

Alabama Family Dies in South Carolina Plane Crash

By J. Thomas Wade
Blue RAM Media

April 21, 2026

UNION COUNTY, S.C.

Authorities in South Carolina are reporting that an Alabama family returning home from a trip to North Carolina have died in a plane crash near an airport in South Carolina.

Authorities are investigating this tragedy but according to the Union County Coroner’s Office, James Moffatt, 60, his wife Leasa Moffatt, 61, and their sons Andrew Moffatt, 30, and William Moffatt, 28, all died when their aircraft went down near Union County Airport.

The aircraft crashed in a wooded area near the runway shortly after takeoff, killing all four people on board.

Authorities said the family had been traveling from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, back to Huntsville and had stopped in Union County, South Carolina, to refuel before the crash.

Police, area fire departments and EMS all responded to the crash scene but confirmed that it was a fatality.

The aircraft was identified as a Mooney M20P single-engine plane and the crash site was located deep in a wooded area, requiring heavy equipment to access the wreckage.

Reports confirmed that James Moffatt was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.

At this time, local police have handed over the investigation to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board who are leading the investigation into the incident.