A small business jet carrying retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife, their two children and three others crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning, killing everyone on board and forcing the airport to close as federal investigators began examining the wreckage.
City officials said the crash happened at about 10:15 a.m. at the city-owned airport in Iredell County, roughly 45 miles north of Charlotte. In a statement, the City of Statesville said, “At approximately 10:15 a.m., an aircraft crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport,” confirming that seven people were killed.
The aircraft was identified as a Cessna C550 business jet, according to federal authorities. The plane caught fire after impact on the runway, sending thick black smoke into the air as firefighters and emergency crews responded. Airport officials suspended all operations while crews worked to secure the scene and control the fire.
The victims included Greg Biffle, 55, a former NASCAR Cup Series driver, his wife Cristina, their children Emma and Ryder, and three other passengers identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth, according to authorities and family statements. Officials said there were no survivors.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the jet had taken off from Statesville Regional Airport around 10:06 a.m. and attempted to return minutes later for reasons that were not immediately clear. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred on the runway during the landing attempt.
Video from the scene showed the aircraft engulfed in flames as firefighters worked to put out the blaze. The airport sits near the interchange of Interstate 77 and Interstate 40, and traffic slowed in the area as emergency vehicles converged on the runway. Officials said no one on the ground was injured and no nearby structures were damaged.
Statesville Regional Airport primarily serves private and corporate aviation and is frequently used by businesses and NASCAR teams based in the Charlotte area. Following the crash, incoming flights were diverted and scheduled departures were canceled. City officials said the airport would remain closed until investigators complete their on-scene work and safety inspections are finished.
NASCAR released a statement mourning Biffle’s death, saying the organization was “deeply saddened” by the loss of the former driver, who competed in the Cup Series for more than a decade and remained a familiar figure in the sport after retiring from full-time racing.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein also offered condolences, noting Biffle’s connection to the state and his involvement in relief efforts after Hurricane Helene earlier this year. Stein described Biffle as someone who showed “courage and compassion” while helping residents affected by the storm.