A family of four, including two young children, tragically died when their small plane crashed in North Carolina while returning from a beach trip.
Travis Buchanan, 35, his wife Candace Buchanan, 35, and their children, Aubrey, 10, and Walker, 9, were killed when their Cirrus SR22 crashed in a rural area of Lee County, near the Raleigh Executive Jetport, around 2 p.m. on Monday, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, who spoke with ABC 11.
Three family members died at the scene, while the fourth was rushed to a nearby hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries, officials said.
Aerial footage from WRAL shows the plane shattered into pieces in a wide-open field, surrounded by emergency responders.
Officials did not disclose the plane’s departure point or its intended destination.
However, a staff member at the family’s farm confirmed they were returning from a beach trip.
“The family helped me all the time,” said Abraham Garcia, who worked for them at Buchanan Farms in Sanford—about 40 miles southeast of Raleigh—for eight years and lived on the property.
Both children attended Grace Christian School in Sanford, with Aubrey preparing to enter fifth grade and Walker entering fourth grade.
“During this incredibly difficult time, we stand together in support of their family and one another,” the school wrote on Facebook.
“We extend our love, prayers, and deepest condolences to their family, friends, classmates, teachers, and staff.”
A small plane carrying a family of four crashed in a field Monday in Lee County, North Carolina.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash.
