Skip to content

Facebook Instagram Linkedin X-twitter Youtube

About Us
Contact Us
Advertisement

About Us
Contact Us
Advertisement

Aviation Newsletter

WhatsApp Channel

Search

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

Search

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
About Us

News

Civil Aviation

Pilot Training

Flight School Analysis

Aviation Jobs

Training

Services

About Us

Contact Us

Search

GA accident

South Carolina, United States: Four people were killed after a single-engine aircraft crashed shortly after departure near Union County Airport on April 17, with federal investigators now examining the cause of the fatal accident. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft involved was a Mooney M20P, which went down at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time near the airport shortly after takeoff. All four occupants on board were killed in the crash. Authorities said the aircraft had departed from Union County Airport and was en route to Ellijay, Georgia, a route often used for short private flights across the region. Local officials later confirmed the identity of all four victims: James Moffatt (60), identified as the pilot Leasa Moffatt (61) Andrew Moffatt (30) William Moffatt (28) The identities were released by the Union County Coroner’s Office after next of kin had been notified. According to the coroner, the four people were members of the same family and were flying from the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area to the Huntsville, Alabama area. Emergency crews responded following reports of smoke near the airport area. Due to difficult terrain, the South Carolina Forestry Commission had to deploy heavy equipment, including a bulldozer, to clear access to the wreckage site. Authorities confirmed the aircraft was a single-propeller plane that had crashed in a wooded area near the airport. No survivors were found at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken the lead in the investigation, working alongside the FAA, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the coroner. Investigators will focus on three primary areas: The pilot The aircraft The operating environment, including weather and flight conditions Officials indicated that the wreckage may be removed from the site in the coming days as part of the investigative process. The NTSB noted that determining a probable cause could take 12 to 24 months, which is standard for general aviation accident investigations.

Aircraft Crashes

4 Family Members Killed In Small Plane Crash Shortly After Takeoff In South Carolina

Aviation Today News Desk / April 20, 2026

South Carolina, United States: Four people were killed after a single-engine aircraft crashed shortly after departure near Union County Airport

Kentucky, United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report into the September 27, 2023, crash of a Piper PA-28-161 that killed a flight instructor and student pilot near Whitesville, Kentucky, concluding that the accident was caused by the instructor’s decision to continue flying into an area of severe thunderstorms. Investigators found the airplane suffered an in-flight breakup after encountering extreme turbulence inside convective weather. The Eagle Flight Academy aircraft departed Bowling Green-Woodhurst Airport at 9:55 p.m. for a night cross-country training mission intended to complete the student’s night-flying requirement. The 22-year-old instructor and 18-year-old student were on their first flight together. According to ADS-B data and air traffic control recordings, the aircraft climbed to 4,500 feet and was warned by controllers at 10:44 p.m. of “heavy to extreme precipitation” to its left. Two minutes later, the instructor requested an instrument flight rules clearance but continued circling in the weather and reported the airplane was “getting blown around like crazy” and in “pretty extreme turbulence.” Moments later, communications ceased. Radar data showed a right descending turn before the plane broke apart. The debris field stretched across 25 acres of wooded terrain. Post-accident examination revealed no mechanical failures. Investigators confirmed the aircraft exceeded its structural limits while penetrating severe weather. The NTSB cited the instructor’s decision-making as the defining factor: “The flight instructor’s improper decision to continue flight into a known area of thunderstorms resulted in an in-flight breakup.” The weather briefing obtained before departure included an active convective SIGMET warning of severe storms with tops to 42,000 feet, hail, and wind gusts up to 50 knots. The NTSB also highlighted the potential latency of weather radar images from cockpit and mobile applications, cautioning pilots that such data may be several minutes old and could under-represent the severity or position of fast-moving storms. Autopsies determined both occupants died of multiple blunt-force injuries. Toxicology tests were negative for the instructor. The student tested positive for cetirizine, an over-the-counter antihistamine, but impairment could not be determined.

CFI’s Choice to Fly in Severe Weather Caused Crash that Killed Student and Self: NTSB

Aviation Today News Desk / September 11, 2025

Kentucky, United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report into the September 27, 2023, crash

Follow Us

Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin-in X-twitter Youtube

AVIATION TODAY brings the latest in aviation and aims to cater information to professionals and Aviation Enthusiasts about the Industry.

Quick Links

About Us
Contact Us
Services
Advertise
FAQ

Navigate

Latest News
Civil Aviation
Pilot Training
Flight School Analysis
Aviation Jobs
Training

General Support

info@aviationtoday.in

News Desk Support

news@aviationtoday.in

Follow Us

Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin-in X-twitter Youtube

© Copyright 2026 Aviation Today. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer

Search

About Us
Latest News
Aviation Today Perspectives
Aviation Jobs
Contact Us
Advertisement

Aviation Newsletter

Facebook Instagram Linkedin X-twitter Youtube