A prominent farming family from Lee County, North Carolina, perished on Monday afternoon, July 7, 2025, when their small aircraft crashed in a field while they were returning from a beach trip in Florida. Travis Buchanan, 35, Candace Buchanan, 35, and their children, Aubrey Buchanan, 10, and Walker Buchanan, 9, died in the crash near Sanford, North Carolina.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to reports of the accident around 2 p.m. Monday in the vicinity of Valley View Drive and Lower Moncure Road, approximately 40 miles southwest of Raleigh. The Cirrus SR22 single-engine aircraft was located in a secluded field. Three family members were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fourth succumbed to injuries at a local hospital.
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, Travis Buchanan owned the plane, which was based at Raleigh Executive Jetport, located several miles north of the crash site. Data from FlightAware indicates the aircraft departed Merritt Island, Florida, around 11 a.m. Monday and was last tracked near Sanford at approximately 1:30 p.m. The flight duration was anticipated to be about 2.5 hours.
The Buchanan family operated Buchanan Farms in Sanford, a well-regarded local agricultural business known for its strawberries and produce. Abraham Garcia, a long-time employee of Travis Buchanan, stated that his former employer “helped me all the time.” Garcia reported the family was returning from a beach vacation when the crash took place.
Travis and Candace Buchanan were childhood sweethearts who attended school together from kindergarten through high school in the Broadway area. The couple had been together for 16 years and expanded their farming endeavor from a single greenhouse to a business spanning around 1,000 acres with multiple facilities. Their farm, situated at 2508 Broadway Road in Sanford, included tobacco operations and a public produce stand, becoming a community staple.
Both children were students at Grace Christian School in Sanford, where Aubrey was about to enter fifth grade and Walker was starting fourth grade. The school published a statement on Facebook offering condolences, stating: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of one of our Crusader Families.” The school announced it would provide grief support services to students and staff.
The Cirrus SR22 comes with a safety feature called the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), which can deploy a parachute to safely lower the aircraft to the ground in emergencies. Since the aircraft’s introduction, this system has been activated 126 times, with 107 successful deployments, saving 220 lives. The SR22 has been the leading general aviation aircraft globally since 2003, with over 8,000 units delivered.
The remote location of the crash site, far from the roadway, posed challenges for first responders attempting to access the wreckage. Sky 5 footage from around 2:30 p.m. Monday showed the aircraft was completely destroyed. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.
The Cirrus SR22 involved in the accident was identified as an SR22T model, the turbocharged version of the aircraft. These planes are equipped with a 315-horsepower engine and can accommodate four or five passengers, depending on the configuration. The aircraft is constructed from composite materials and features advanced avionics and safety systems.
The couple’s farming journey began when Travis worked as a teenager for his aunt and uncle on their farm and other local agricultural operations. After graduating from high school in 2007, he started his own farming business by borrowing equipment from his uncle and gradually acquiring his own machinery as the operation grew.
Community members and customers of Buchanan Farms expressed shock and grief over the family’s death. The farm’s Facebook page, with over 5,600 followers, regularly features updates on seasonal produce availability and farm activities. The family was committed to preserving farmland for agricultural use despite increasing residential development in the area.
