12/18/25 03:46:00
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12/18 15:44 CST Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and family among 7 killed in
North Carolina plane crash
Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and family among 7 killed in North Carolina
plane crash
By ALLEN G. BREED and GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) --- Former race driver Greg Biffle and members of his
family were among seven people who died in a plane crash Thursday in North
Carolina, state police said.
The business jet erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground while trying
to land at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north
of Charlotte.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle.
"Although the post-crash fire prevents us from releasing a definitive list of
the occupants at this time, it is believed that Mr. Gregory Biffle and members
of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane," state police said.
Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR's three circuits, including 19
at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and
the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) --- A business jet with six people aboard crashed
Thursday at a regional airport in North Carolina used by NASCAR teams and
Fortune 500 companies, erupting in a large fire and killing multiple people,
authorities said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by retired NASCAR
driver Greg Biffle.
There were six people on the Cessna C550 that crashed while landing at
Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of
Charlotte, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
"I can confirm there were fatalities," Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell
said.
Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the
disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane
was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.
"We were like, ?Oh my gosh! That's way too low,'" said Joshua Green of
Mooresville. "It was scary."
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating.
AccuWeather says there was some drizzle and clouds at the time of the crash.
The plane took off from the airport shortly after 10 a.m. but then returned and
was attempting to land there, according to tracking data posted by
FlightAware.com.
The plane had planned to fly later from Sarasota, Florida, to Treasure Cay
International Airport in the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, and then to Statesville by evening, data showed.
Video from WSOC-TV showed first responders rushing onto the runway as flames
burned near scattered wreckage from the plane. The airport's website states
that it offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and
several NASCAR teams.
With 2025 almost over, there have been 1,331 U.S. crashes this year
investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to commercial aircraft, compared
to a total of 1,482 in 2024.
Major air disasters around the world in 2025 include 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 people,
including 11 on the ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.
___
This story corrects the sheriff's first name to Darren, not Grant.
___
Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers Josh
Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Ed White in Detroit and Sarah Brumfield in Washington
contributed to this story.
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