The National Transportation Safety Board has released new photos and videos from the scene of the crash that killed NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, among three others, as the investigation continues.
“Our representative with the National Transportation Safety Board disaster assistance division is continuing to work with the family members and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this accident,” said NTSB board member Michael Graham in a press conference on Saturday, December 20. “And I want to thank the family members who have been assisting our team during this terrible time.”
The new look at the scene shows Graham and NTSB staff searching the debris, and includes a photo of a staff member with the cockpit voice recorder.
Graham said the recorder was retrieved during the team’s search and that investigators are currently “attempting to extract that information.”
NASCAR legend Greg Biffle and his family have died following a plane crash at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. Airport officials confirmed on Thursday, December 18, that an aircraft registered to Biffle burst into flames upon landing. “I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said in the first statement […]
At this time, Graham said the NTSB is continuing to search for “perishable evidence” and any other clues that will shed more light on the cause of the accident.
“We do not know the circumstances that led the aircraft … to return to the airport but that is the focus of our investigation,” Graham said.
He added, “Early indications from multiple sources indicate that the airplane was stable on approach, configured for landing with the landing lights on, but the aircraft was coming in low.”
Those reports, he said, are “consistent with the debris field our team continues to survey.”
Graham also shared that the NTSB has the plane’s maintenance log in its possession as of Saturday.
There is still no information on who was flying the aircraft at the time of the accident, Graham said, but he confirmed the report from Friday, December 19, that a passenger on the plane texted a family member on the ground.
Fatal Crash of Cessna 550 -240 National Transportation Safety Board
According to Graham, the text read, “Emergency landing.”
“This morning, I can confirm that the NTSB is aware of one brief text from a passenger on board the aircraft to a family member,” Graham said. “We are not aware of any other communications from passengers on board the aircraft to those on the ground.”
Biffle’s Cessna C550 plane crashed and burst into flames on Thursday, December 18, soon after takeoff at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
The business jet was supposed to fly to Sarasota, Florida, before taking off on a second leg to the Bahamas. The aircraft was then scheduled to fly to Fort Lauderdale before returning to North Carolina.
“At approximately 10:15 am, an aircraft crashed while landing,” airport officials told The Charlotte Observer in a statement. “Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is en route and will investigate the incident.”
It was later confirmed that, along with Biffle, his wife, Cristina Grossu, and his two kids were on board when it crashed. Three other people were killed in the accident: Dennis Dutton, his son Jack and Craig Wadsworth.
Biffle was a highly-decorated NASCAR driver with more than 50 wins throughout his career. He was named one of the 75 best NASCAR drivers in history in 2023.
NASCAR released a statement after the accident on Thursday, honoring Biffle and the other victims of the crash.
“NASCAR is devastated by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton in a fatal plane crash,” the statement read, in part. “Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many. His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”
