A tight-knit North Carolina community is mourning the devastating loss of the Buchanan family after their single-engine plane crashed just one mile from their destination. Travis and Candace Buchanan, both 35, along with their two young children, died when their Cirrus SR22T went down near Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford on July 7.
The family had been returning home from a Florida beach vacation when tragedy struck. Preliminary reports indicate the pilot reported multiple issues before the crash, including engine trouble and navigation system failures. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a thorough investigation, with the wreckage being transported to a specialized facility in Tennessee for analysis.
At Grace Christian Sanford, where the Buchanan children attended school, heartbroken teachers shared touching tributes. “I’ll cherish those daily hugs from sweet Aubrey,” wrote one educator, while others described the family’s radiant kindness. The Buchanans were pillars of their community, operating Buchanan Farms where they hosted gatherings and ran a popular produce stand. Longtime employee Abraham Garcia fought tears remembering Travis: “He was always helping others.”
As investigators work to determine the crash’s cause, the community remembers a family whose generosity knew no bounds. Their farm’s final Facebook post—a cheerful Fourth of July message—now stands as a poignant reminder of lives cut tragically short.
