Daijiworld Media Network – North Carolina

North Carolina, Dec 19: Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his immediate family and others on board a business jet were killed after the aircraft crashed and burst into flames while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport in western North Carolina on Thursday morning.

According to local officials and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Cessna C550 crashed at around 10.15 am local time in Iredell County, about 40 miles north of Charlotte. Airport authorities confirmed that seven people were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said it is believed that Biffle and members of his family were among those killed. However, formal identification has not yet been completed due to the severity of the post-crash fire. The identities of the victims are pending confirmation from the medical examiner’s office.

“This is still an active event,” Statesville City Manager Ron Smith said during a brief news conference, describing the incident as a multi-agency response and adding that the investigation remains “evolving”.

Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported that the plane was bound for Florida but attempted to return to Statesville Regional Airport shortly after takeoff due to severe weather conditions. Reuters reported that the aircraft was registered to a company linked to Biffle.

Family members later identified the deceased as Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina Biffle, their five-year-old son Ryder, and Biffle’s 14-year-old daughter Emma. The other victims were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

In a statement released by the families of the victims and posted on X, they said the tragedy had left them “heartbroken beyond words”.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the crash. Local authorities said the NTSB is expected to arrive at the crash site on Friday, December 19.