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Greg Biffle, his wife and children were killed Thursday in a plane crash in North Carolina, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said in a social media post.
Biffle and his family members were aboard a Cessna C550, tail number N257BW, en route to the Bahamas via Sarasota, Florida, when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport. The plane had tail number N257BW, which is owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, according to federal aviation records. The company is owned by Biffle.
“I am devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina and their children, and my heart goes out to everyone who loved them,” Hudson wrote on X.
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NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle appears during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia on March 20, 2022. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
“They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others. Greg was a great NASCAR champion who delighted millions of fans. But he was also an extraordinary person, and he will be remembered as much for his service to others as for his fearlessness on the track.”
“The Biffles carried out hundreds of rescue missions in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a few weeks ago, she asked me how she could help with the relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were.
“Our prayers are with their family, friends and all those who are grieving this unimaginable loss.”
Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said at an earlier news conference that he could “confirm there were fatalities” in the crash. Authorities have not identified the identities of the victims or how many people were on board the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration told PK Press Club Digital that the C550 crashed around 10:20 a.m. ET. FAA officials and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
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A massive fire is seen at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. (WJZY-TV)
The fire continued as emergency personnel rushed to the scene of a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina. (WJZY-TV)
Smoke is seen coming from a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina. (WJZY-TV)
An official with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office told PK Press Club Digital that the small plane crashed after taking off shortly after 10 a.m.
Video from the scene showed first responders rushing onto the runway as flames burned near the plane’s scattered wreckage.
Golfers at the nearby Lakewood Golf Club said they fell to the ground as the plane flew overhead. They said the ninth hole was covered in debris.
“We were like, ‘Oh my God! This is way too low,'” Joshua Green, of Mooresville, told the Associated Press. “It was scary.”
Statesville Regional Airport provides business aviation facilities to Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams, according to the airport’s website.
Biffle, 55, received widespread praise last year when he used his personal helicopter to deliver supplies and internet service to those in need following Hurricane Helene in parts of North Carolina. He even located a family stranded while flying due to the use of a mirror against the sun.
Biffle was providing Starlink services to residents of Western North Carolina and reflected on his experience helping the stranded family whose use of the mirror saved them.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (44) speaks to the press during media day for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida on February 16, 2022. (Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports)
“Only way we could find someone stranded in the mountains at the bottom of a steep canyon. 6 landing attempts due to difficulty, but we made it – bought him a chainsaw, EpiPens, insulin, chicken feed, formula, gas, 2-stroke oil and sandwiches made by Harris Teeter before we left,” Biffle posted at the time.
Biffle has 19 NASCAR Cup Series victories, including six in 2005 when he finished second in the Cup standings. He won three consecutive Ford 400s from 2004 to 2006 at Homestead. He also earned 20 victories in the Xfinity Series, winning the title in 2002, and earned 17 more checkered flags in the Craftsman Truck Series, winning the championship in 2000. Biffle initially stopped racing in 2016 but returned six years later.
