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

FMI: www.ntsb.gov