NTSB Investigates Fatal North Carolina Plane Crash That Killed Greg Biffle and Family
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the fatal plane crash in North Carolina that claimed the lives of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, and their two children, Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14. Three other victims, Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth, also died in the crash.
The accident involved a Cessna C550 aircraft owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a company owned by Greg Biffle. The plane was bound for the Bahamas and took off from Statesville Regional Airport, approximately 45 miles north of Charlotte, around 10:05 a.m. ET. Approximately five minutes after takeoff, the aircraft began returning to the airport and crashed about 10 minutes after departure.
Among the seven people on board, three were licensed pilots; however, the NTSB has not yet confirmed who was piloting the plane at the time of the crash. Greg Biffle himself was licensed to fly helicopters and single- and multi-engine planes.
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was recovered and is currently being analyzed in Washington, D.C. The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder, which was not required for this type of plane. Weather conditions at the time were relatively calm, with light rain reported.
The NTSB expects to release a preliminary report within about 30 days, while the full investigation is anticipated to take 12 to 18 months.
