A beloved North Carolina farming family died after their small plane came crashing down over a remote field on their way back from a July 4th beach weekend in Florida.
The Cirrus SR22 carrying Travis, 35, and Candance Buchanan, 35, along with their two children Aubrey, 10, and Walker, 9, plummeted around 1:45pm on Monday.
First responders rushed to the gut-wrenching scene in a wooded area near the Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford, Lee County.
Aerial footage from WRAL showed the aircraft shattered in pieces and scattered across the grass.
The aircraft came down far from the roads nearby, making it difficult to find the site.
State Highway Patrol officials said when authorities finally located the Buchanan family, three of them were pronounced dead at the scene.
The remaining victim was rushed to the hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries. It is unclear which family member died at the hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the fatal incident.
According to FlightAware, the family was returning back to Sanford from Merritt Island, Florida.
The Buchanans owned Buchanan Farms in Sanford, a location adored by the local community for its fresh produce and summer festivities.
'He helped me all the time,' Abraham Garcia, who has worked at the farm for more than eight years, told WRAL of Travis.
Garcia also confirmed the family was coming back from the beach when the tragedy struck.
Social media has been flooded with tributes to the young family, with other farmers and small businesses mourning the devastating loss.
'The Buchanans were more than just fellow farmers - they were a cornerstone in this community. Their kindness, their work, their presence... it mattered,' The Pint Sized Pasture in Sanford wrote on Facebook.
MeMe's Bakery, also in Sanford, said: 'As many of you know Buchanan Farms has been one of our top local places to find our desserts!'
'Candace & Travis opened their business up to me in my starting days! I am forever grateful for them and the opportunity they gave me to provide for our community!'
Aubrey and Walker both attended Grace Christian School in Sanford. Aubrey was entering the fifth grade and her brother was going into fourth.
'The Buchanan Family; Students Aubrey (rising 5th) and Walker (rising 4th) along with their parents, Travis and Candace, went to be with the Lord today,' the school wrote on Monday.
'During this incredibly difficult time, we stand together in support of their family and one another.
'We extend our love, prayers and deepest condolences to their family, friends, classmates, teachers and staff.'
This harrowing incident comes less than a week after a skydiving jet crashed while leaving a New Jersey Airport.
The Buchanan family was returning home from a trip to a Merritt Island, Florida beach.
The Cessna 208B carrying 15 people went off the end of the runway while leaving Cross Keys Airport in Williamstown last Wednesday around 5:30pm, the FAA told the Daily Mail.
Horrifying video shows victims being rolled from the scene on stretchers, with victims headed to a hospital roughly 20 miles away.
Medical transport helicopters were also deployed to urgently assist the injured. First responders seen swarming the wooded area near the runaway.
Fourteen people on board were hospitalized in various conditions - including three in critical states. The remaining person refused medical attention at the scene. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported.