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Greg Biffle, his wife and children died in a plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday, Rep. Richard Hudson, R.N.C., said in a social media post.
Biffle and his family members were aboard a Cessna C550 with tail number N257BW that was headed to the Bahamas via Sarasota, Florida, when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport. The plane had tail number N257BW, 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 in 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 thrilled millions of fans. But he was also an extraordinary person and will be remembered as much for his service to others as for his bravery on the track.”
“The Biffles flew hundreds of rescue missions in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
“The last time I spoke to Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she asked me how she could help with the relief efforts in Jamaica. That was the Biffles.
“Our prayers are with his family, friends and all 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 did not identify who the deceased were or how many people were on board the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration told Pak Gazette Digital that the C550 crashed around 10:20 a.m. ET. Officials from the FAA 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 the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. (WJZY-TV)
The fire continued as emergency personnel responded to the plane crash site in Statesville, North Carolina. (WJZY-TV)
Smoke is seen billowing from a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina. (WJZY-TV)
An Iredell County Sheriff’s Office official told Pak Gazette Digital that the small plane crashed after taking off shortly after 10 a.m.
Video from the scene showed first responders running toward the runway as flames burned near the scattered wreckage of the plane.
Golfers at 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 thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s too low,'” Joshua Green of Mooresville told The Associated Press. “It was terrifying.”
Statesville Regional Airport offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams, according to the airport’s website.
Biffle, 55, received major praise last year when he used his personal helicopter to deliver supplies and internet service to those in need after Hurricane Helene in parts of North Carolina. He even located a family stranded while flying due to using a mirror to protect themselves from the sun.
Biffle had been 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 media during the Daytona 500 media day at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida on February 16, 2022. (Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports)
“The only way we could find someone stranded in the mountains at the bottom of a steep canyon. 6 attempts to land due to difficulties but we made it; we got him a chainsaw, EpiPens, insulin, chicken food, formula, gas, 2 stroke oil and pre-made Harris Teeter sandwiches before we left,” Biffle posted at the time.
Biffle had 19 NASCAR Cup Series victories, six of them in 2005, when he finished second in the Cup standings. He won three consecutive Ford 400s from 2004 to 2006 at Homestead. He also had 20 wins in the
