NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle, 55, and Family Die in Plane Crash
What’s Happening? Former NASCAR Champion Greg Biffle, known for his success across the sport’s three National Series, has died in a…
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The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the crash that took the lives of seven North Carolina residents, including NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, is still ongoing, with updates expected to come soon. In the short aftermath of this tragic accident, here’s what we know so far.
What’s Happening? Former NASCAR Champion Greg Biffle, known for his success across the sport’s three National Series, has died in a…
Saturday, the NTSB gave its second media briefing on the crash in Statesville.
The circumstances that led to the plane attempting to land again at the airport are still unknown, but this issue is the focus of the investigation.
They have confirmed that they are aware of a text message from someone on board the airplane to a family member that said “emergency landing.” They have no other evidence of any other communications.
Investigators reiterated that they still do not know who was in the second seat in the cockpit.
They continue to gather evidence from the site (such as the cockpit voice recorder, recovered yesterday), and will continue to provide media updates.
Friday at 3:00 PM ET, the NTSB held a press conference regarding the crash.
Though the investigation will take some time, during this press conference, NTSB Board Member Michael Graham claimed that a preliminary report will be released in approximately 30 days.
Dan Baker, charged with leading the investigation, says that the plane departed Statesville Regional Airport at 10:05 AM and, five minutes later, turned back towards the airport.
As seen in videos, the plane did not make it to the runway, and in its attempt, it impacted a runway light stanchion approximately 1,800 feet from the runway threshold.
Baker also stated that the plane collected trees, two additional runway light stanchions, and a portion of the airport perimeter fence in this impact. The investigator also confirmed the drizzle of rain occurring at the time of their takeoff.
Board Member Graham did state that the Cockpit Voice Recorder was recovered from the scene, though the plane did not have a flight data recorder, something not required for this flight.
In answering questions from the media, Graham clarified that they do not have an idea of who was piloting the plane at the moment of impact, though there were three licensed pilots onboard.
When asked if they knew why the plane attempted to return to Statesville Regional Airport, Graham said:
“At this point, we are not aware if there was an actual issue or not. We are studying a lot of things. We are trying to get recordings from the various frequencies that the aircraft may have been on and any other witness statements that may have heard anything on the common frequency.” — NTSB Board Member Michael Graham
Though Graham says the NTSB has yet to verify any issues with the plane during its approximately ten-minute flight, he also said they will look into the weather, factoring into their return due to low ceiling and heavy drizzle at the time.
Interestingly enough, Graham was asked about reports that a person on board the flight texted a family member, “We’re in trouble.” In response, Graham said the NTSB is “not aware of that,” but is encouraging anyone with information regarding such a text message to contact the NTSB.
The NTSB has established a team of 16 experts to conduct the investigation that could last 12 to 18 months before a final report is filed and released.
The crash occurred around 10:15 AM ET Thursday at Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina.
In total, seven individuals on board lost their lives, including Biffle, his wife Cristina, their son Ryder, his daughter Emma, as well as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, across social media, residents and new stations shared footage of the scene, showing the remains of the plane as fire crews addressed the wreckage.
The commentary on the crash was little in comparison to the outpouring of love from the NASCAR and Motorsports community, with many taking to social media to share memories of “The Biff” and pay their respects to his family and the other passengers aboard.
What’s Happening? Following the tragic passing of NASCAR legend Greg Biffle and his family, the NASCAR community has united to remember…
In the later hours of Thursday afternoon, even more angles of the collision with the ground, such as this one shared by Charlotte, a news station, WCNC, show the plane aggressively impacting the ground and skidding for a short period after impact.
Per a Facebook post from Biffle’s close friend Garrett Mitchell, whom many likely know by his screen name Cleetus McFarland, the family was headed to Florida to see Mitchell and his family. This led many to question why the plane, a 1981 Cessna Citation Business Jet, had crashed while approaching the airport if it was departing.
As the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation is still ongoing, very little is known, though flight data answers questions about why the plane, which took off during overcast skies in the area, was landing at Statesville Regional Airport, having looped back around to the runway following its preliminary takeoff.
Many aviation experts, such as YouTuber Pilot Debrief, while also pointing out the long list of uncertainties about the crash (mostly regarding what occurred during takeoff and what the exact weather conditions were that could have led to the flight returning to the tarmac), are pointing out the odd route the plane took to return to the runway after takeoff.
As of press time, there are still many missing details about the crash, and per a report from WCNC, the NTSB plans to do a debrief on the crash on Friday afternoon. This story will be updated as new details emerge.
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