Ex-NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle, His Family Among 7 Killed As Jet Crashes In North Carolina | Video

A Cessna Citation 550 business jet crashed shortly after takeoff at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday (local time), killing all seven people on board, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and members of his family.

The aircraft, which was bound for Florida, took off around 10.15 am local time but soon attempted to return to the airport before crashing and erupting into a large fire on the runway, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and flight-tracking data from FlightAware.

“There was a total of seven on board, all killed,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell told AFP.

The report quoted the North Carolina Highway Patrol as saying that weather may have played a role, with local media reporting

drizzle and low cloud ceilings at the time of the crash.

FlightAware data showed the plane attempted to return shortly after departure.

Social media posts showed intense flames and wreckage scattered across the runway. The airport was closed following the incident, and work to clear off the debris was underway.

🚨 JUST IN: TERRIFYING new footage of the plane crash which kiIIed NASCAR legend and humanitarian Greg Biffle earlier today

Seven people are confirmed deceased, including Greg, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder

Keep their family in your prayers tonight 🙏🏻

h/t… pic.twitter.com/hOsqyVIfvZ

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 18, 2025

The jet was registered to a company tied to Biffle, according to flight records cited by authorities.

Officials said formal identification of the victims was delayed due to a severe post-crash fire, with confirmation being handled by the medical examiner’s office.

Among those killed were Biffle’s wife, Cristina Grossu Biffle, and their two children, Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, authorities and family statements said. The remaining victims were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth, according to the Associated Press.

NASCAR confirmed Biffle’s death and paid tribute to the former driver, who was named one of the organisation’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

“The NASCAR family is devastated at the loss of Greg Biffle, who was one of our 75 greatest drivers and became known for his relentless post-career humanitarian work,” NASCAR mentioned in a statement posted on X.

“We extend our deepest condolences.”

Biffle, 55, won 19 Cup Series races during a career spanning two decades, according to Field Level Media cited by Reuters. He also won the NASCAR Truck Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002. His final Cup Series race was the 2022 Geico 500 at Talladega.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board said it was launching a team to investigate the crash of the Cessna Citation C550.

“The team expects to arrive on scene tonight,” the agency said in a statement cited by AFP. The Federal Aviation Administration was also assisting with the investigation.

The cause of the crash was yet to be determined.

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