The pilot of a deadly plane crash reported engine issues along with a loss of communication and navigation equipment, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.
Monday’s crash in Sanford killed Travis Buchanan, 35, Candace Buchanan, 35, Aubrey Buchanan, 10, and Walker Buchanan, 9, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
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“It’s a tragedy by all means,” NTSB aviation accident investigator Ryan Enders said during a news conference on Tuesday.
The plane, a Cirrus SR22T, went down in a field off Lower Moncure Road.
Enders said the plane departed around 11:03 a.m. ET Monday from Merritt Island, Florida, enroute to Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford. It crashed around 1:30 p.m. ET Monday in Sanford, Enders said.
“About 5-6 miles from the airport, the airplane advised a local fixed-base operator about a loss of communications and navigational equipment shortly after they advised the fixed-base operator that they had engine issues,” Enders said.
Enders said authorities found the plane about 1 mile from Raleigh Executive Jetport. He said authorities will take the airplane to Tennessee for further examination.
On Tuesday, a reporter asked Enders about a parachute on the Cirrus SR22T.
“It does not appear the parachute deployed,” Enders said. “We’re not certain why yet.
“Sometimes, that’s an altitude thing. [There are] many factors that could play into that.”
Another reporter asked Enders about the pilot’s flight history.
“We’re still looking into the pilot’s flight history,” Enders said. “We have all the pilot’s logbooks, but not all the information appears to be in his main logbook, which is not uncommon.
“Sometimes, their information is stored online. I only have the physical copies, currently.”
Enders said the NTSB's work at the crash site is almost complete because of the way the plane hit.
“It’s all within one location, which is helpful,” Enders said. “We have all the components, contained in a diameter of about a 50-yard circle.”
Enders said the NTSB would publish a preliminary crash report in about three weeks. He said a final report would take about 18 months to complete.
Anyone who saw the crash is asked to email witness@NTSB.gov.
Community mourns loss of Buchanan family
On Tuesday, WRAL News spoke with Patrick Kelly, a family friend of the Buchanans.
People who knew the Buchanan family told WRAL News they were the owners of Buchanan Farms in Sanford. The family's farm is more than 600 acres of tobacco.
"Tobacco farmers are a dying breed," Kelly said. "It's a lot of labor."
The family also operated a food truck, produce stand and store.
"It takes a lot of people to do this and his extended family on the farm was huge," Kelly said. "I know it's just as hard today as it is his own family."
The Buchanan children also made their own mark.
"Walker, he was really nice and he was always kind to people, and same with Aubrey," said Harper Ruta, a family friend.