(STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, USA) — National Transportation Safety Board investigators on Friday said they still could not confirm who was flying Greg Biffle’s private jet when it crashed short of a runway at Statesville Regional Airport, killing the former NASCAR driver, his family members and two others.
“At this time, we have been unable to verify who was piloting the airplane. Three of the occupants did possess pilots’ licenses but we have been unable to verify (who was piloting) as of this time,” said NTSB Member Michael Graham.
The jet, a Cessna Citation 550 registered as N257BW and owned by Biffle, crashed at 10:15 a.m. EST on December 18, 2025, while attempting to land on Runway 28 at the non-towered airport in North Carolina, killing all seven people aboard.
Investigators said three licensed pilots were on the aircraft, but the NTSB has not determined who was at the controls at impact, a detail that has become central to early questions around the short flight and its sudden return to the airport.
The NTSB said Biffle was among those with a pilot’s license but was not type-rated in the Cessna Citation 550.
Investigators said a retired Delta Airlines pilot had been hired by Biffle to operate the plane, and that pilot’s son, a student at Auburn Aviation School with a private pilot rating, was also aboard.
The NTSB said the aircraft does not strictly require two pilots but has operational restrictions.
The crash killed Greg Biffle, described by the NTSB as a NASCAR driver and the aircraft’s owner, and Cristina Grossu Biffle, his wife, according to the victims list provided in briefings.
Also killed were Emma Biffle, identified as a daughter from his first marriage to Nicole Lunders, and Ryder Biffle, identified as his son.
The other victims were Craig Wadsworth, described as a long-time NASCAR associate who worked with Biffle, as well as Dennis Dutton and Jack Dutton, who were identified as being on board.
Investigators said the flight lasted about 10 minutes after takeoff and involved an initial left turn west before the plane turned back east toward Statesville Regional Airport.
The NTSB said there was no known Mayday call issued before the crash at the non-towered airport.
NTSB Investigator-in-Charge Dan Baker said preliminary ADS-B data shows the aircraft turning back toward the airport about five minutes after takeoff.
Investigators said they have not confirmed mechanical issues, but interviews suggest a possible engine problem may have prompted the aircraft’s return toward the airport.
The board cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about whether pilot actions, mechanical issues or weather were decisive factors.
If you own or hire a private jet, confirm who is in command before takeoff, verify each pilot’s type rating and credentials, and document crew assignments to avoid ambiguity during investigations.
The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder was recovered and has been sent to Washington, DC for analysis.
Investigators said there was no flight data recorder on board and that one was not required.
The debris field stretched 1,800 feet, investigators said, with damage that included a light pole, trees and extended runway lights located about 1,800 feet from the runway end.
Investigators said the initial impact was downhill from the runway end, an indication that the plane approached too low.
The NTSB said the flight path appeared to involve a visual approach that may have become destabilized.
Investigators said evidence included strikes to a light pole and trees beyond the runway.
The NTSB described weather conditions as visual flight rules with low ceilings and heavy drizzle.
Investigators said no other aircraft were known to have interfered with the landing attempt.
The board said it expects a preliminary report in 30 days and a full report in 12-18 months.
Investigators said they are seeking witness videos and photos and that drone mapping was delayed by high winds.
The crash has drawn intense attention in Statesville and among motorsports fans because the aircraft was linked to a well-known racing figure and the short timeline left little public information about what went wrong between takeoff and the attempted landing.
Biffle was identified by investigators as the plane’s owner, and the NTSB said he was not type-rated in the Cessna Citation 550, a detail that becomes more consequential as investigators work to determine who was in the pilot’s seat at impact.
The board’s account of the final moments centered on the aircraft’s low approach toward Runway 28 and the long debris path that began downhill from the runway end.
Investigators described the strikes to obstacles beyond the runway, including the light pole and trees, as physical evidence the jet came in too low before reaching the runway environment.
The lack of a Mayday call and the uncertainty over who was flying added to early questions, even as the NTSB emphasized it had not reached conclusions about the causes.
The NTSB said three of the occupants did possess pilots’ licenses, but investigators have not yet been able to verify who was piloting the airplane when it hit.
That uncertainty includes Biffle himself, the retired Delta Airlines pilot hired to operate the plane, and the pilot’s son, the student at Auburn Aviation School with a private pilot rating, investigators said.
The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder may help clarify cockpit roles and actions, but offered no timeline for what it expects to learn from the recording.
Investigators said the plane did not have a flight data recorder, meaning the inquiry will rely heavily on the cockpit audio, physical evidence from the wreckage and debris field, witness material, and available tracking data such as ADS-B.
The board said interviews have raised the possibility of an engine problem that triggered the return, while stressing that no confirmed mechanical issues have been identified.
Experts have speculated that a low approach could be linked to poor visibility or panic from an issue like engine failure, but the NTSB said it is too early for conclusions on pilot, mechanical, or weather factors.
Investigators said the airport is non-towered, and no Mayday call is known, details that could shape the timeline investigators build from communications records, cockpit audio and the physical evidence leading up to impact.
For now, the agency’s focus remains on establishing the basic facts of the flight, including who was flying, why the jet turned back roughly five minutes after takeoff, and what conditions and decisions led it to descend into obstacles short of Runway 28 at Statesville Regional Airport.
The NTSB is investigating a Cessna Citation 550 crash that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and six others in North Carolina. The flight lasted only ten minutes before striking obstacles during a low approach. Investigators are focusing on identifying the pilot in command among three licensed individuals on board. A recovered cockpit voice recorder is expected to provide critical details regarding the aircraft’s final moments.
