NASCAR star Greg Biffle, his family among 7 dead in North Carolina plane crash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina and their two children were among those who died Thursday when a jet crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, according to a joint statement released by families of passengers.

Seven people in all were killed: Five adults and two children, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

“Greg and Cristina were devoted parents and active philanthropist whose lives center around their young son Ryder and Greg’s Daughter Emma (from a previous marriage)” the family statement says.

“We ask for privacy, compassion and understanding as we grieve and begin the process this unimaginable loss. We are grateful for the kindness and support that has been extended to our families during this incredibly difficult time.”

Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth also died, the family statement says.

The jet was landing around 10:15 a.m., when it burst into flames. Only the tail was recognizable as the wreckage burned, videos showed.

Witnesses noted on social media the plane cut a path through a wooded area near the airport, and left a smoking trail carved in the grass before it came to a stop.

“Multiple agencies are responding ... including HazMat, EMS, Fire, Rescue, Emergency Management, the NC State Highway Patrol, and the Federal Aviation Administration,” the airport reported in a Facebook post.

The city-owned airport is about a 45-mile drive north from Charlotte, and “provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams,” according to the city.

What the NC plane crash witnesses saw: ‘I could feel the heat’

Neighbors who lived near the airport described what they saw and heard.

James Jones was inside his home on Airport Road when the silence was shattered by the sound of emergency sirens.

“At first it was just a flame, then black smoke,” Jones said, recalling the moment he looked outside to see the blaze. “I thought it was a house because there are residences on that side, too.”

He was stunned to realize the smoke was rising not from a neighbor’s home, but from a downed aircraft just a short distance from his property.

The proximity of the tragedy unsettled those nearby.

Alex Etman, who lives directly across from the airport, was at work when he first heard the news.

“We are pretty close,” Etman said. “It’s definitely spooky to be this near to something like that. We obviously get a lot of plane traffic after the NASCAR races when the teams are coming home. Everything always felt normal.”

The Lake Norman area is popular with both NASCAR teams and drivers.

While many watched the smoke from a distance, Michael Wingo witnessed the disaster unfold from his front porch near Old Airport Road while letting his dog, Taz, outside. His house is next to a field across from the airport.

“I was standing right here with my dog,” Wingo said, gesturing to his porch. “I looked over and saw it. When it exploded, I could feel the heat from here.” Wingo immediately dialed 911.

As the reality of the crash set in, Wingo was haunted by the plane’s trajectory. “Knowing if that plane had been angled in any different direction, it could have landed right here,” he said. “That scares me a lot.”

The horror of the event soon turned into personal grief. Roughly 30 minutes after witnessing the fireball, Wingo learned that one of his close friends, Craig Wadsworth, had been on board.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Wingo said of the loss. “I watched it happen, and I didn’t know who was on it until later. In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘I watched my friend die.’ ”

Wingo, who spent years working with Greg Biffle and the NASCAR community, remembered Wadsworth as a pillar of the community. “He’d give you the shirt off his back,” Wingo said. “Great person. Craig was one of the best.”

Greg Biffle’s NASCAR career, Hurricane Helene aid

As for Biffle, he was “one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers,” according to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Known as “the Biff,” he "raced 14 full-time seasons, earned 19 wins in 515 starts and was a perennial Playoff contender,” NASCAR.com reports. “Biffle finished in the top 10 in the standings six times, including a runner-up finish in 2005,” the Hall of Fame says.

He had 20 years of experience as a helicopter pilot, a skill he put to use by flying badly needed supplies to people in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, PBS said reported in a 2024 story.

“The Biffles flew hundreds of rescue missions in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene,” Congressional Motorsports Caucus Chair Richard Hudson wrote in a statement.

“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were.”

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein also referenced Biffle’s Helene flights in a social media post offering condolences. “Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion,” he wrote.

More information on the Statesville plane crash

Flight Aware reports that the Cessna that crashed was scheduled to spend most of the day in Florida, flying from Sarasota to Treasure Cay and then to Fort Lauderdale before returning to Statesville this evening.

“The single airplane crash occurred after the airplane had departed the airport and was returning to the airport on reapproach,” the N.C. Highway Patrol said in a news release.

Weather conditions at the airport were “adverse” at the time of the crash, AccuWeather reports.

“Heavy drizzle and a cloud ceiling near 1,200 feet were reported at 10:15 a.m. The cloud ceiling had reportedly lowered to around 400 feet, with heavy rain reducing visibility to less than 2 miles at 10:30 a.m.,” according to Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather Vice President of Forecasting Operations.

“Weather conditions are often a critical factor that investigators carefully review after a plane crash. It may take months to a year or longer for investigators to determine if the weather conditions contributed to the crash.”

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