Ex-Nascar driver and family believed to be among seven killed in aircrash
A former Nascar driver is believed to be among seven people killed in a plane crash at a regional airport in North Carolina, an official said.
A spokesman for the highway patrol said people on the ground confirmed that racer Greg Biffle was among those on board.
The Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:20 local time (15:20 GMT), officials investigating the incident told reporters.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein posted on X: “Heartbreaking news from Statesville.” “Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion, stepping into Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.”
According to BBC’s US partner CBS, the Cessna C550 plane belongs to a private company linked to retired Nascar driver Greg Biffle.
Professional baseball player Mitchell Garrett wrote on Facebook that Biffle and his family were on their way to spend the afternoon with him.
“Unfortunately, I can confirm that Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma and son Ryder were on that flight… as they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us,” he wrote on Facebook. “We are devastated. I am so sorry to share this.”
Statesville Airport manager John Ferguson described the plane as a corporate jet and said the plane was already in flames when he arrived at the scene.
The business jet took off around 10:06 local time and was in the air shortly before the crash.
It crashed at the east end of the runway and officials have no information yet on the cause of the crash.
Statesville Airport will remain closed until further notice as crews clear debris from the runway, Mr. Ferguson told reporters.
Authorities did not provide any information about the deaths or people on the plane during the media conference.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is conducting the investigation, said it has formed a team to investigate the fatal crash. The team is expected to arrive at the scene on Thursday night.
Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) is owned by the City of Statesville, located approximately 45 minutes north of Charlotte.
It also provides aviation facilities to Fortune 500 companies and various Nascar racing teams.
Biffle, whose racing career spanned two decades, was named one of Nascar’s Top 75 Drivers in 2023. The 55-year-old driver has won 19 Cup Series races in the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series.
The Vancouver, Washington native, known as The Biff, received national notice in 1995 during that year’s Nascar Winter Heat Series, according to his Nascar profile.
He made a name for himself in the Craftsman Truck Series, winning the 1998 Rookie of the Year award and the 2000 series championship.
He was named the 2001 Rookie of the Year in the Xfinity Series and won the 2002 championship, becoming the first driver to win championships in both the Xfinity Series and Truck Series.
He also co-founded the organization’s Sand Outlaws Series. Although he cut back on racing after 2016, he apparently came out of retirement for a one-off race win at Texas Motor Speedway in 2019.
“Race is race,” he said nascar.com “It’s adrenaline, you want to be better than the competition, you want to produce a better part and have a faster car. I just enjoy the competition.”
