What we know about the plane crash that killed NASCAR’s Greg Biffle and his family
private jet crashed at a regional North Carolina airport Seven people, including retirees, died in a fire on Thursday. NASCAR star Greg Biffle Authorities said three members of his family were also present.
Here are some things you need to know about the accident.
What happened?
The plane took off Thursday morning from Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte. Shortly after takeoff, the jet turned toward the airport and crashed while attempting to land, according to tracking data published by FlightAware.com.
Video from WSOC-TV showed first responders running to the runway where flames were burning near scattered debris.
Investigators said it was too early to determine what caused the crash. There was some rain and clouds at the time, according to AccuWeather.
Statesville Regional Airport offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams, according to its website.
Who was on board?
According to a joint statement made by the victims’ families, there were seven people on the plane, including Greg Biffle; his wife, Cristina Grossu Biffle; their son Ryder; and Greg Biffle’s daughter, Emma.
The other victims were Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and Dutton’s son Jack, all of whom were “loved by many in the NASCAR community,” the statement said.
“Each of them meant so much to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the statement said.
Biffle, 55, has won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three tracks, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won championships in both the lower-tier national Truck and Xfinity Series (the first driver to do so) and spent nearly his entire career driving for Roush Fenway Racing, whose headquarters are about 40 miles south of the crash site.
Wadsworth, a longtime behind-the-scenes employee of various NASCAR teams, was a friend of Biffle’s and had helped him with odd jobs, including hauling supplies to areas hit by Hurricane Helene a year earlier, according to Wadsworth’s roommate, Benito Howell.
Biffle joined. gloomy athlete list Those who died in plane or helicopter crashes.
What kind of plane was it?
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said the plane was a Cessna C550, a popular midsize business jet with an excellent reputation. Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Greg Biffle.
The plane was scheduled to fly to Sarasota, Florida, and then to Treasure Cay airport in the Bahamas before returning.
Guzzetti said Biffle’s plane was built in 1981 and would likely cost between $1 million and $10 million, depending on how it was equipped. The Cessna 550 Citation has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers.
