Three other passengers, in addition to Greg Biffle, his wife and children, were on board the Cessna C550
Seven people died after a private jet crashed in Statesville, North Carolina, USA, the state highway police reported.
Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina and their two children, Ryder and Emma, were among the dead.
“This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken and speechless,” the victims’ families said in a joint statement. “Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives”, they also noted, asking for privacy.
In addition to Biffle and his family, three other passengers were aboard the Cessna C550, which “crashed during landing approach after takeoff from Statesville Regional Airport,” according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the investigation.
Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, as well as Craig Wadsworth, a longtime member of the NASCAR community, were identified as the other passengers.
The accident occurred shortly after 10:15 am, Iredell County Deputy Police Chief Bill Hamby told CNN.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein spoke of “devastating” news. “Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion and rallied to help North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to everyone who lost a loved one in this tragic accident,” he wrote in a post on X.
Digital content creator and motorsport streamer Garrett Mitchell, known as “Cleetus McFarland” on his channel, said Biffle, his wife and two children were flying to visit him. Biffle and Mitchell were friends and carried out rescue missions after Hurricane Helene. Biffle is a licensed pilot and it is still unclear who was flying the aircraft.
Greg Biffle is considered one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers, with 19 victories.
His long-time team, RFK Racing, said it was “devastated” by the loss of a “beloved member of the racing family”.
NASCAR also expressed dismay over Biffle’s death, stating that he “was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor and a friend to many.” “His passion for racing, his integrity and his commitment to his fans and colleagues left a legacy in the sport.”
A witness who works at the airport told CNN that he saw the plane in flames after the crash.
“My desk is facing the place where everything happened. I was sitting and then I heard a big bang and our hangar shook a little. I got up to look and that’s when I saw flames and fire everywhere,” said Victoria, who works for an aviation company and asked to be identified only by her first name due to privacy concerns.
The NTSB, which is investigating the accident, is expected later this Friday and is expected to hold a press conference on Saturday.
At a short press conference, local authorities shared little information about the accident. “We have no information about any cause,” admitted airport director John Ferguson.
Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, is an uncontrolled airport with no control tower. Pilots are required to communicate their nearby position using a common radio frequency.
The airport remains closed.
Preliminary flight tracking data shows that a Cessna Citation 550 took off from Statesville Regional Airport around 10 a.m. from Runway 10, traveled about five miles and then made a left turn toward the airport. The plane did not climb more than 2,000 feet (600 meters), according to FlightAware.
Low clouds, light rain and visibility of less than five kilometers were recorded about 80 minutes after the accident, according to an automatic weather station at the airport. It is unclear whether these conditions were present when the plane crashed.
*Carol Alvarado and David Close contributed to this article
