OAN Staff Abril Elfi
10:40 AM – Tuesday, July 8, 2025
A family of four has tragically died after their small plane crashed in Lee County in North Carolina.
According to a report by ABC 11, the North Carolina Highway Patrol told the outlet that Travis Buchanan, 35, his wife, Candace Buchanan, 35, and their children, Aubrey, 10, and Walker, 9, died when their Cirrus SR22 crashed in a rural part of Lee County at around 2 p.m. Monday.
The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine four-or five-seat composite aircraft.
Officials stated that while three of the family members died at the scene of the accident, a fourth was rushed to a local hospital. However, sadly, the fourth succumbed to their injuries, in addition to the other three who perished at the scene.
It was not specified which family member was taken to the hospital.
Authorities did not disclose the aircraft’s point of departure or intended destination. However, a staff member at the family’s farm informed officials that they had been “returning from the beach.”
Grace Christian School in Sanford, where their daughter Aubrey was going into fifth grade and son Walker was going into fourth grade, released a statement following the incident.
“During this incredibly difficult time, we stand together in support of their family and one another,” the school said. “We extend our love, prayers and deepest condolences to their family, friends, classmates, teachers and staff.”
“Let us honor their memory with compassion and love,” the school continued. “Psalms 34:18 NIV ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’”
The crash is currently being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
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