An Alabama family of four was killed Friday evening in a plane crash near a small county airport in Union, South Carolina.
The Mooney M20P aircraft went down near the Union County Airport around 6:30 p.m. local time, killing everyone on board, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
According to local media reports, the Union County Coroner identified the pilot as James "Tony" Moffatt, 60, of Huntsville. His wife, Leasa Moffatt, 61, was among the victims, as well as their two sons, Andrew Moffatt, 30, and William Moffatt, 28.
The family had departed from the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina and was en route to Huntsville when they stopped to refuel in Union County. After takeoff, the plane crashed in a wooded area near the airport's runway, CBS 42 reported. The crash site was difficult to access, and officials called in the Forestry Service to bulldoze a path to the wreckage.
"It was hard for us to get to," Chief Deputy Scott Coffer with the Union County Sheriff's Office told WRDW News 12. "We actually had to take side by sides to get there, vehicles didn't make it. That's why we had the forestry here to cut us a road in there."
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. The latter is leading the inquiry and will provide further updates once available, the FAA said. NTD reached out to the Union County Coroner, the Union County Airport, and the Union County Sheriff's Office for additional information, but responses were not received by publication time.
Tony Moffatt was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army as an aviation officer before founding the defense aviation technology consulting firm Moffatt Systems Inc., Fox54 reported. Leasa Moffatt worked as a first and second-grade learning coach at the Valley Leadership Academy, a private hybrid school in Huntsville.
Following the crash, the Moffatt family was remembered online by colleagues and friends.
"With deepest sympathy and a heavy heart, we honor the lives of the Moffatt family," one Facebook tribute reads. "There is a sacredness in a life well-lived and a legacy carried in love, laughter, and connection. We hold the family in our prayers and extend our sincerest condolences to all who loved them."
"I want to share my heart felt sympathy to all those who are experiencing the loss of this family in our community," a friend of Leasa Moffatt penned. "The world is going to be at a loss with these lives gone , but I know they are all in a better place. Now today let's honor this family by being the best version we can be a[s] they did."
The Moffatts are survived by their three other children, Victoria, Cate, and Grant.