Statesville, North Carolina
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Federal investigators on Friday will begin sifting through the wreckage of a enterprise jet that crashed in North Carolina and killed all seven folks aboard, together with retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his household.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a big hearth when it hit the bottom Thursday. It had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, however quickly crashed whereas attempting to return and land, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol stated.
Flight data present the plane was registered to an organization run by Biffle. The reason for the crash wasn’t instantly recognized, nor was the explanation for the plane’s return to the airport in drizzle and cloudy situations.
Federal Aviation Administration data present Biffle was rated to fly helicopters and single and multi-engine planes. It wasn’t clear if Biffle was piloting the plane on the time of the crash.
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Biffle was on the plane together with his spouse, Cristina, and youngsters Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, in accordance to the freeway patrol and a household assertion. Others on the plane have been recognized as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the joint household assertion stated.
Biffle, 55, received greater than 50 races throughout NASCAR’s three circuits, together with 19 on the Cup Series degree. He additionally received the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR known as Biffle “a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many.”
“His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport,” NASCAR stated.
The plane, sure for Florida, took off from the Statesville airport shortly after 10 a.m., in accordance to monitoring knowledge posted by FlightConscious.com.
Golfers enjoying subsequent to the airport have been shocked as they witnessed the catastrophe, even dropping to the bottom on the Lakewood Golf Club whereas the plane was overhead. The ninth gap was coated with particles.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” stated Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”
A crew from the National Transportation Safety Board headed to North Carolina on Thursday to examine. The Federal Aviation Administration can be investigating.
The Cessna plane, inbuilt 1981, is a well-liked mid-sized enterprise jet with a wonderful fame, aviation security knowledgeable Jeff Guzzetti stated. It has two engines and usually seats six to eight passengers and two pilots.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the US, even utilizing his private helicopter to ship support to flooded, distant western North Carolina.
“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were,” Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, stated.
Wadsworth was Biffle’s buddy and helped him with odd jobs, together with delivering provides to locations hit by Hurricane Helene, roommate Benito Howell stated.
“He didn’t know how to say no,” Howell stated of Wadsworth, who had labored for a number of NASCAR groups. “He loved everybody. He always tried to help everybody.”
The joint household assertion additionally spoke about Dutton and his son Jack, saying they have been “deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them.”
With 2025 virtually over, there have been 1,331 US crashes this 12 months investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to industrial plane, in contrast to a complete of 1,482 in 2024.
Major air disasters all over the world in 2025 embrace the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia’s Far East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen folks, together with 11 on the bottom, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.