The mystery behind the plane crash that killed star NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family has deepened after it was revealed there were three pilots onboard at the time.
Greg Biffle, 55, his wife Cristina, and their children Ryder and Emma, five and 14, were heading to the Bahamas on a private jet with three other people when the plane had to turn back toward the airport five minutes into the journey and crashed.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground Thursday morning, about a third of a mile from the airport’s runway, after flying erratically back toward the origin point.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said there were three licensed pilots onboard the flight, including Biffle, at the time of the crash.
However, they still do not know who was piloting the jet before it plummeted to the ground.
‘This is the beginning of a very long process, and we will not jump to any conclusions while on scene here in North Carolina,’ NTSB board member Michael Graham said at a press conference.
The plane was owned by Biffle’s company, GB Aviation Leasing LLC, federal records showed.
The other passengers on the plane have been identified as 67-year-old Dennis Dutton, who also has a pilot’s license, his son Jack, 20, and Craig Wadsworth.
Dutton was a retired Air Force Reserve pilot and was a captain with Delta Airlines. Dutton was licensed and rated to fly this model of plane, but even then, he was supposed to fly with a co-pilot.
Greg Biffle, 55, his wife Cristina, and their children Ryder and Emma, five and 14, were heading to the Bahamas on a private jet with three other people when the plane had to turn back toward the airport five minutes into the journey and crashed
Dennis and Jack Dutton (pictured together) were also on the plane and had pilot’s licenses, as well as Diffle. Only Dennis had the correct license to be able to fly that particular plane. However, authorities do not know who was piloting the aircraft
Biffle was rated to fly a multi-engine plane, he wasn’t listed as qualified to fly this particular jet or be a second officer. Dutton’s son, Jack, also had a pilot’s license, but was only rated for single-engine planes.
Officials have not determined the cause of the crash, as the preliminary report will take 30 days and the final report could take up to 18 months, Graham said.
The jet departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, ten minutes before the crash. It turned around roughly five minutes into the journey and then crashed while trying to return and land, authorities said.
The plane had returned to the airport in drizzle and cloudy conditions.
Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder, which could provide important clues about what happened. They were not aware of any emergency calls from the jet, NTSB member Michael Graham said at a Friday news conference.
Cristina Biffle’s mother told People magazine that her daughter sent her a text message saying, ‘We’re in trouble’, before she didn’t hear from her again.
Former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti, said the plane’s speed and altitude fluctuated significantly during the brief flight, and its path was consistent with a flight crew that experienced an issue and needed to return quickly.
At one point, the plane quickly soared from 1,800 feet up to 4,000 feet before dropping again. It was only a couple of hundred feet off the ground prior to the crash after alternating altitudes.
The plane crash roughly 10 minutes after takeoff and erupted into flames
‘One thing is certain: They were low. They were too low to make a safe landing on that runway,’ Guzzetti said.
It’s unclear why the pilots didn’t make an emergency call.
Biffle 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.
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.
A memorial with flowers sprouted up Friday by Biffle’s marble star in his hometown of Mooresville, honoring him as a member of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
