North Carolina Family of Four Killed in Small Plane Crash Near Florida Airport

The Buchanan family was killed in a plane crash in North Carolina

A North Carolina family of four tragically lost their lives after their small private aircraft crashed into a field just one mile from Sanford Airport in Florida on Monday. The Cirrus SR22T aircraft, piloted by 35-year-old Travis Buchanan, went down following a series of desperate distress calls reporting engine failure and loss of communication.

Travis Buchanan, his wife Candace, also 35, and their two children — Aubrey, 10, and Walker, 9 — were returning home after a family trip to Florida. The aircraft took off from Merritt Island shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time, with a scheduled landing at the Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Pictures show the plane's splintered wreckage

Authorities confirmed that three of the four passengers died at the scene. One person was transported to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to injuries. The aircraft was found splintered in a field, with no evidence that its built-in emergency parachute system was deployed.

“It does not appear the parachute deployed,” said Ryan Enders, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Cirrus SR22T is equipped with a ballistic parachute recovery system designed to bring the plane safely to the ground in emergencies.

According to flight data, the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of approximately 11,700 feet before descending. The aircraft, powered by a 315-horsepower engine, is capable of climbing at 1,203 feet per minute and cruising at altitudes of up to 25,000 feet.

The plane was owned by Travis Buchanan, who also operated Buchanan Farms, a local family business in North Carolina. Tributes have poured in for the family, with friends and employees describing Travis as generous and always ready to help.

The Cirrus SR22T plane is powered by a 315 horsepower engine

“He helped me all the time,” said Abraham Garcia, an employee of Buchanan Farms.

The family’s two children, Aubrey and Walker, were set to enter fifth and fourth grade respectively. Their school community has expressed shock and sorrow over the tragic loss.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Officials from the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are working to determine what led to the midair emergency. A full crash report could take up to 18 months.

The incident adds to a growing list of aviation tragedies in recent months across the United States and North America. Just last week, a skydiving plane crash in New Jersey injured 14 people. In a separate incident, six individuals, including a prominent steel executive, died in an Ohio Cessna crash. Other high-profile crashes have included a deadly collision over the Potomac River involving a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet, a Philadelphia air ambulance disaster, and a Delta jet that flipped upon landing in Toronto.

As investigations continue, the aviation community and the victims’ hometown are mourning a devastating loss — a family gone too soon.