Family of 4 Tragically Dies in North Carolina Plane Crash – Here’s What We Know
After their single-engine plane crashed only a mile from their intended destination, a young family of four is being mourned by their town in North Carolina.
On Monday afternoon, July 7, 2025, a family of four died in a horrific plane crash in Sanford, North Carolina. The Cirrus SR22T crashed in a Lee County area close to the Raleigh Executive Jetport.
The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The plane had taken off from Merritt Island, Florida, and was headed to the Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford, according to Aviation Accident Investigator Ryan Enders.
Tragically, the crash claimed the lives of all four passengers: Travis Buchanan, 35; his wife, Candace Buchanan, 35; and their two kids.
According to Enders, “It’s a tragedy, by all means,” It is a catastrophic blow to the community as a whole. We will determine what transpired.
The pilot reported communication difficulties, as well as problems with the aircraft’s engine and navigation systems, to the fixed-base operator at the airport prior to the disaster.
The wreckage will be taken to a facility in Tennessee for additional examination in order to aid with the inquiry.
The NTSB added that it will analyze the pilot’s flight history and look into the conditions and activities that took place in the 72 hours before the flight as part of its routine process.
Grace Christian Sanford, the Buchanan children’s school, honored the family on social media. Members of the school community expressed their grief over the Buchanans’ passing and shared their own recollections of them after the announcement.
“I adored this family.” I’m very grateful for the opportunity of teaching Walker and the daily cuddles from darling Aubrey. Now that their light is gone, the neighborhood will be a little darker. Tonight, Kirstin Schwader commented, “I’m praying for all of our family, friends, and the community who are grieving this unfathomable loss.
“It was such an honor to know this lovely family and to teach sweet Walker. Their friends and family are in my prayers. “This is devastating,” Tammy H. Strickland continued.
“I had the good fortune to teach Walker and Aubrey in kindergarten. This awful loss has devastated my heart. “I’m praying for everyone who is in pain,” Maci Bullard said.
In Sanford, the family owned Buchanan Farms, where they frequently hosted community gatherings and operated a local produce stand. Abraham Garcia, a longstanding worker, claimed that the accident happened as they were heading home from a beach vacation.
“He helped me all the time,” Garcia continued, referring to Travis Buchanan, his former employer. They spent eight years working together.
On the Fourth of July, the farm’s most recent Facebook post wished its fans a “Happy and Safe 4th of July.”
The Buchanan family’s impact on their town is still evident even as the crash inquiry is ongoing. They were remembered by many locals for their generosity and efforts to promote charity causes through community events, in addition to their warmth and kindness.
Los Charros Mexican Restaurant’s Andrea Adame talked about how hearing the news broke her heart. “When I heard yesterday about this accident, it broke me,” she said. “As a mother, I sobbed because I genuinely believe they were significant to this community. Their goal was to give the family a safe and healthy atmosphere.
In Lee County, the Buchanans were well-known for their farm and for hosting events that united the neighborhood. According to Nickie Runyan of Nickie Runyan Photography, “that was truly their goal, just to have a place to have the community come together, and you could see that at the events, at the sessions.”
Friends and family said the family is now focused on grieving and figuring out how to go on, even though they had been organizing another charity event for the next weekend.
Yarborough’s Ice Cream and Grill owner Michael Yarborough praised Travis’s morals and character when recalling purchasing strawberries from Buchanan Farms for his store. “That was the main reason I would always go there,” he stated, “because I was always greeted kindly.”
Days before, a twin-engine plane crashed into the Ohio woods minutes after takeoff, causing yet another terrible plane disaster.
A jet crashed in Trumbull County’s forests on Sunday, June 29, 2025, shortly after taking off from Vienna, Ohio’s Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. No one survived.
All six victims have now been recognized by authorities and made public.
According to Cleveland19, four passengers were recognized by the Trumbull County coroner: James Weller Jr., his wife Veronica Weller, their son John Weller, and John’s wife Maria Weller (ages 67, 68, 36, and 34, respectively).
Two other crew members also died: co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55, and pilot Joseph Maxin, 63. 1.2 miles northwest of the airport, the Cessna 441 crashed close to King Graves and Henn Hyde roads in Howland Township.
The jet took off at 6:53 a.m. and crashed less than seven minutes later, according to airport officials. About a minute later, it crashed after making a left turn. The Mahoning Valley community is grieving the loss of its cherished residents in the wake of the collision.
NTSB investigating Sunday's crash of a Cessna 441 in Youngstown, Ohio.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) June 29, 2025
The Wellers have a long history in the region. At the time of his death, James Jr. was president and CEO of Liberty Steel Industries, a well-known business that his father had founded in 1965.
They had a strong presence at Sharon Speedway as well. James Sr., James Jr., and his son Jimmy (who was not on board) were among the three generations of the family who were enthusiastic racers. Tom Frost, a trustee for Jackson Township, stated:
After the collision, Sharon Speedway also released a statement. In a Facebook post, they noted the Wellers’ numerous achievements and connections to the track while expressing their profound regret at the awful death.
“Jim was a two-time track champion and won 36 times in Sharon Speedway’s Big-Block Modified division. The statement said, “From 2002 to 2024, his late father Jim Weller, Sr. co-owned Sharon Speedway,” and it included a request for prayers for the family.
At Youngstown Flight School, pilot Joseph Maxin served as a main flight teacher. In addition, he was a former assistant prosecutor in Mahoning County and the director of compliance for the Western Reserve Port Authority.
Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro remembered Maxin’s lengthy and fruitful career in a statement following his passing. He spent decades working in the criminal and civil divisions of the prosecutor’s office after initially joining in 1990.
Lynn characterized Joseph as “not only a skilled attorney, but also a beloved friend and colleague, known for his kindness, good nature and one-of-a-kind humorous personality.”
The official media relations account of the National Transportation Safety Board declared on X that an inquiry regarding the crash has begun.
Jimmy Weller III, a former NASCAR stock racer, and Ronnie Weller, the mother of Jimmy and John Weller, were among the people that survived the Wellers.
