Per GoFundMe campaigns, Sean Yocum was one of the three. Following the crash, he was flown by Valley Air 1 to UNC-Chapel Hill trauma center for emergency surgery. Yocum is a Marine and will spend at least the next month in the hospital.
Another one of those injured is Jerry Bueno, who is in critical condition and faces a long road to recovery.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Piper Warrior single-engine plane took off from Gray's Creek Airport, located about two miles from where it crashed into a heavily wooded area. It then caught fire.
At 10:45 a.m., Gray's Creek Fire Department Station 24, Cotton Fire Rescue and Gray's Creek Station 18 were called to the scene near 6045 Highway 87.
The plane wreckage will be taken to an offsite facility to be examined, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.
NCSHP is investigating the incident. FAA is also conducting an investigation.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video is from a previous report.