A holiday card sent out by NASCAR legend Greg Biffle and his family has arrived at the homes of some friends and family members after their deaths in a plane crash last week.
“I received this in the mail today,” Ron Herbert shared via Instagram on Sunday, December 21. “My words can’t say enough about the family 🙏🙏 🥲🥲.”
Herbert, who owns the Red Rocks Cafe in Huntersville, North Carolina, has become close with a number of NASCAR drivers over the years, including Biffle.
The restaurateur shared a photo of the holiday card, which showed Biffle laughing with his wife, Cristina, his 14-year-old daughter, Emma, and his 5-year-old son, Ryder.
The extended family of NASCAR legend Greg Biffle faces many unanswered questions in the wake of the fatal plane crash that took his life last week. Biffle, 55, his wife, Cristina, his 14-year-old daughter, Emma, and his 5-year-old son, Ryder, were all killed when his plane burst into flames upon making an emergency landing at […]
The holiday card read: “We hope that you are able to slow down and enjoy the magic and joy that this season has to offer. We hope you have a great New Year! Sending love, Greg, Cristina, Emma & Ryder.”
Biffle and his entire family were killed when his airplane crashed upon landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday, December 18.
The Biffles’ plane crashed roughly 15 minutes after takeoff. The aircraft had turned around and was attempting to land back at the Statesville airport for unknown reasons.
Three other passengers on board — pilot Dennis Dutton, his son, Jack, and NASCAR motorhome driver Craig Wadsworth — also died upon impact.
It is not clear who was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board issued an update about their investigation on Saturday, December 20.
“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,” NTSB board member Michael Graham said in a press conference. “And I want to thank the family members who have been assisting our team during this terrible time.”
Graham added, “We do not know the circumstances that led the aircraft … to return to the airport but that is the focus of our investigation. 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.”
Dan Rose, a former military pilot and aviation attorney, exclusively told Us Weekly that the results of the NTSB’s investigation could take years.
“I would say the default from the [National Transportation Safety Board] is probably close to two years with a final report coming out,” Rose said. “The NTSB is pretty good about getting out what’s called a preliminary report in the first few weeks. But it’s very cursory, generally.”
Rose continued, “As somebody who looks at these all the time, you can read between the lines and see generally which way the investigation is going. Is it going mechanical? Is it going pilot error? Is it going weather? That kind of thing.”
However, Rose did indicate that Biffle’s fame might help speed up the process of the investigation.
“This is certainly a terrible tragedy and it’s high profile, so those tend to be kicked up the hierarchy a little bit in terms of how quickly they get resolved,” Rose said. “But I would be surprised if there was a final report within a year.”
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