Portland (IN) Engineering Executives Among Casualties
They were going on vacation, headed from Portland (IN), near
Indianapolis, to Beaufort (SC). They never arrived. Instead, the
Lancair IV they were flying crashed in a field of wheat near the
South Carolina town of Allendale.
Friday's crash killed Greg Moser, his wife,
Marianne (right), Jeff Bickle and his wife, Eileen. Moser owned
Moser Engineering, a company that manufactures race car axles.
Bickle was his plant manager.
"We will never be able to express the pain associated with the
tragic loss of our parents, grandparents and friends," said the
Moser family in a statement to the media. "Their love and devotion
will be missed."
"Though they traveled a lot for business, this was for leisure,
to get their minds off business," said Moser Marketing Director Jon
Bennett, in an interview with The Indianapolis Star.
Stormy Weather
The Lancair IV (file photo below) went down in stormy weather,
at approximately 6 pm (EDT), according to Allendale County (SC)
Fire Chief Rodney Stanley. "I'm not sure exactly what took place or
what happened. I know we were having a thunderstorm during the time
the plane went down," Stanley told the Star. "The main compartment
where the passengers were was all right there in one area, but
(there) was a lot of damage to it."
The National Weather Service says there were indeed heavy storms
in the area. In the county adjacent to Allendale, there was even a
severe thunderstorm warning at the time of the mishap. Allendale's
assistant fire chief, Walter Griffen, said "it appears that it
broke up before it came down."
** Report created 5/19/2003 Record
9 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 29ME
Make/Model: EXP Description: LANCAIR
IV
Date: 05/16/2003 Time: 2158
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: ALLENDALE State: SC Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER LOSING RADAR
CONTACT, FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURIED,
ALLENDALE, SC
INJURY DATA Total Fatal:
4
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 3 Fat:
3 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: KCHS 162156Z 14012G17KT 10SM FEW030 SCT120 OVC250 25/20
A300
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: PORTLAND,
IN
Dep Date: 05/16/2003 Dep. Time:
Destination: BEAUFORT,
SC
Flt Plan: IFR
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: DESCEND AND MAINTAIN 110
FAA FSDO: COLUMBIA, SC
(SO13)
Entry date: 05/19/2003