Family of four dies in North Carolina plane crash after July 4 beach vacation

A Fourth of July trip turned to tragedy when a small plane carrying a North Carolina family crashed just minutes from landing, killing all four people on board.

Travis and Candace Buchanan, both 35, were returning from a beach vacation in Florida with their two children, Aubrey, 10, and Walker, 9, when their plane crashed into a wooded area near Sanford Raleigh Executive Airport on July 7. The aircraft, a single-engine Cirrus SR22T registered to Travis, went down less than 20 minutes from its destination.

The family had taken off earlier that day from Merritt Island, Florida. At approximately 1:36 p.m., the plane reported engine trouble and a loss of communication and navigation systems, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The crash occurred shortly after.

Emergency crews arrived at the crash site around 2:03 p.m. Three of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fourth was taken to the hospital and later died.

The Buchanans were well known in Lee County for their family-run business, Buchanan Farms. Friends and neighbors described the family as deeply rooted in their community.

“Our hearts are shattered,” wrote Pint Sized Pasture, a local farm, on Facebook. “Their kindness, their work, their presence… it mattered.”

Visit NC Farms also paid tribute, remembering Buchanan Farms as a place where families connected and life felt slower.

Friends, customers—and family

Los Charros Mexican Restaurant, a local favorite, described the Buchanans as more than patrons—they were friends. “I still remember the day Travis brought us part of his harvest,” one post read. “We even named a margarita after his farm.”

Their absence is being felt not just socially, but physically—on the land they worked every day.

In a quiet show of respect, farm workers returned to the fields soon after the crash, continuing operations in the Buchanans’ memory.

Rebekah Angel Walters, a neighbor, shared a photo of a worker on a tractor. “The look and wave I got today broke my heart,” she wrote. “They were out there working hard to carry on the Buchanan’s farming legacy.”

The NTSB continues to investigate the cause of the crash, including the reported engine issues and equipment failures.

As the small town of Sanford grieves, many are choosing to remember the Buchanans through the life they built—one rooted in family, farming, and friendship.