Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle
and family among 7 killed in North Carolina plane crash
[December 19, 2025]
By ALLEN G. BREED and GARY D. ROBERTSON
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A business jet crashed Thursday while
trying to return to a North Carolina airport shortly after takeoff,
killing all seven people aboard, including retired NASCAR driver
Greg Biffle and his family, authorities said.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground. It
had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72
kilometers) north of Charlotte, but soon crashed while trying to
return and land, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by
Biffle. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, nor was the
reason for the plane's return to the airport in drizzle and cloudy
conditions.
Federal Aviation Administration records show Biffle was rated to fly
helicopters and single and multi-engine planes. It wasn't clear if
Biffle was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.
Biffle was on the plane with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder,
5, and Emma, 14, according to the highway patrol and a family
statement. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his
son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an
immeasurable void in our lives,” the joint family statement said.
Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits,
including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series
championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR said it was devastated by the news.
“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,”
NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his
commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting
impact on the sport.”
The plane, bound for Florida, took off from the Statesville airport
shortly after 10 a.m., according to tracking data posted by
FlightAware.com.
Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed
the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club
while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with
debris.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green
of Mooresville. “It was scary.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation
Administration were investigating.
The Cessna plane, built in 1981, is a popular mid-sized business jet
with an excellent reputation, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti
said. It has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers
and two pilots.
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First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a
regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP
Photo/Matt Kelley)
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian
efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his
personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North
Carolina.
“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," U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a
Republican from North Carolina, said.
Wadsworth was Biffle's friend and helped him with odd jobs,
including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene,
roommate Benito Howell said.
“He didn’t know how to say no,” Howell said of Wadsworth, who had
worked for several NASCAR teams. “He loved everybody. He always
tried to help everybody.”
The joint family statement also spoke about Dutton and his son Jack,
saying they were "deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by
all who knew them."
With 2025 almost over, there have been 1,331 U.S. crashes this year
investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to commercial
aircraft, compared to a total of 1,482 in 2024.
Major air disasters around the world in 2025 include the
plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air
India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia’s Far
East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen people, including 11 on the
ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.
___
Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press
writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North
Carolina; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Ed White in Detroit; and
Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed to this story.
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