2025 North Carolina Cessna Citation II crash
A partial view of the debris field | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 18, 2025 |
| Summary | Crashed during failed emergency landing attempt, under investigation |
| Site | Statesville Regional Airport, Statesville, North Carolina, U.S. 35°45′49″N 80°56′20″W / 35.76361°N 80.93889°W |
| Aircraft | |
| A Cessna Citation II similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 550 |
| Operator | GB Aviation Leasing LLC |
| Registration | N257BW |
| Flight origin | Statesville Regional Airport, Statesville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Destination | Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On December 18, 2025, a Cessna 550 business jet crashed in Statesville, North Carolina. The crash occurred between 10:15 and 10:20 a.m. local time. Seven people were killed in the crash, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife and his two children.
Background
Statesville is about 45 miles (72 km) north of Charlotte.[1] Statesville Airport is a small regional airport without a control tower.[2]
Shortly after the crash, low clouds and light rain were reported in the area. The area had a visibility of less than three miles.[2][3]
The plane, a Cessna C550 business jet, was owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, which was owned by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle.[4][5] The plane had the tail number N257BW and was manufactured in 1981.[5][6] Flight records show that the plane was scheduled to fly to Florida and spend most of the rest of the day there.[3] The plane had seven occupants.[1]
Crash
The plane departed from Statesville Airport from runway 10 at 10:06 a.m.[2][4] and traveled around 11 miles (18 km) before turning sharply to the left back towards the airport.[2][7] The plane reached a maximum altitude of 4,300 feet (1,300 m).[7] Upon returning to the airport, the plane crashed at the east side of the runway while attempting to land.[8]
Victims
All seven occupants were killed in the crash. The victims were identified as Biffle, his daughter Emma, his wife Cristina, their son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth, pilot Dennis Dutton and his son Jack Dutton.[1]
Aftermath
The wreckage caught fire after the crash.[2] Following the crash, Statesville Airport was closed due to debris from the crash on the runway.[9]
Investigation
The cockpit voice recorder, ground proximity warning system, a Garmin G750 display and various cockpit instruments were recovered by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team. The NTSB began an investigation into the incident.[9] Two briefings were held by the NTSB. A preliminary report is expected to be released within 30 days, while a final report is expected in 12 to 24 months.[10]
References
- ^ a b c Breed, Allen G.; Robertson, Gary D. (December 18, 2025). "Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and family among 7 killed in North Carolina plane crash". Associated Press. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Muntean, Pete; Sayers, Devon M. (December 18, 2025). "Fatalities reported in private jet crash in North Carolina". CNN. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Price, Mark (December 18, 2025). "Plane owned by NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashes while landing at Statesville airport". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Tucker, Luke (December 18, 2025). "Multiple dead after plane crash at Iredell County airport: What we know". WBTV. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Ashley Carnahan; Ryan Gaydos (December 18, 2025). "Airplane linked to former NASCAR star Greg Biffle crashes in North Carolina". Fox News. Archived from the original on December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ "FAA REGISTRY". FAA. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Hodgin, Carrie (December 18, 2025). "What flight tracking data reveals about deadly plane crash that killed Greg Biffle and his family". WXII. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
- ^ Alund, Natalie Neysa. "Jet crashes at North Carolina airport". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "Authorities investigating North Carolina plane crash". NBC News. December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ^ "Fatal Crash of Cessna 550". National Transportation Safety Board. December 20, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
External Links
- NASCAR's official response to Biffle's death