A family of four from North Carolina, including two young children, died Monday afternoon when their small private plane crashed in a field northeast of Sanford. The family was returning home from a trip to Florida.
The victims were identified as Travis Buchanan, 35, his wife Candace Buchanan, 35, and their children Aubrey, 10, and Walker, 9, according to the state Highway Patrol. Three of the family members died at the scene, while the fourth was pronounced dead at a hospital. There were no survivors in the crash, which involved a Cirrus SR22T aircraft.
The crash site was located in a field near trees northeast of Sanford, close to the Raleigh Executive Jetport, where the plane was based.
A crash investigator arrived at the scene on Tuesday to examine the wreckage and circumstances of the crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The plane left Merritt Island, Florida, at about 11 a.m. on Monday and was headed to the Raleigh Executive Jetport outside Sanford, about 1 mile from where the plane wrecked, according to NTSB crash investigator Ryan Enders who spoke during a Tuesday news conference.
Enders said the plane had reported issues with its communications and navigation equipment to a Jetport flight services operator when it was about 5 to 6 miles from the airport. Shortly after, the plane reported engine issues.
Aubrey was set to begin fifth grade and Walker was preparing for fourth grade in the fall.
According to data from the NTSB’s Monthly Aviation Dashboard, there have been 111 fatal plane crashes and 463 non-fatal crashes in 2025 as of early July. However, fatal commercial plane crashes worldwide have declined since 2019.