The plane piloted by Travis Buchanan as he and his family were returning to Sanford began having problems shortly after it took off from Merritt Island, Florida, according to a preliminary report issued earlier this week by the National Transportation Safety Board.
That information was included in the early investigative findings into the plane crash that killed Buchanan and his family, including wife, Candace, and their children, Aubrey, 10, and 9-year-old Walker.
Shortly after taking off at 11:03 a.m. the Cirrus SR22T plane bound for the Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford stopped transmitting data and several minutes later, Buchanan reported electrical problems with the plane. He told an air traffic controller that “it wasn’t an emergency and would continue to his destination,” the report said.
As the plane headed into Lee County airspace, Candace Buchanan used her cell phone to call a fixed-based operator. She reported that the plane’s navigational and communication equipment were not working and asked which runway would be open for the landing, the wind speed and direction, the report said.
Pilots in the Jetport’s traffic pattern were notified of the situation as the fixed-base operator spoke with Candace Buchanan and relayed the information to her.
Shortly after that, she reported that the plane was having engine problems and “needed to make a straight in emergency landing,” the report said.
There was no more communication with her.
The plane was about five miles from the Jetport when it went down in a field. There was no evidence of an explosion or fire. The fuel tank on the left wing was empty and not breached. The right fuel tank was damaged but had about three gallons of fluid.
According to the NTSB, the plane was equipped with a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System which can help slow a plane as it descends. However, the handle in the cockpit used to deploy the parachute was found to have a safety pin installed, preventing it from being used.
Robert Katz, a commercial pilot and flight instructor with 43 years of experience, offered his insight on what happened. It appears that Buchanan did not go over the flight checklist — which is a frequent oversight with pilots, Katz said.
Recoverable data in the plane was removed and shipped to the NTSB vehicle recorders laboratory. It could take up to two years to complete the investigation and file a final report.