A plane belonging to retired NASCAR star Greg Biffle crashed at Statesville Regional Airport at 10:15 a.m. while en route to Bradenton, Florida.
Garrett Mitchell, better known as YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, has confirmed that the Biffle family was on the boat and indeed died in the accident.
“Unfortunately, I can confirm that Greg Biffle, his wife Christina, daughter Emma and son Ryder were on that plane… as they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I’m sorry to share this news.”
Local authorities confirmed the casualties but gave no further details.
The incident occurred at 10:15 a.m. at the airport, 45 miles north of Charlotte, North Carolina, which is one of the area facilities used by many organizations and individuals in the industry.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office was overseeing the incident, but within hours of the crash the Federal Aviation Administration was also on the scene. Around noon, airport manager John Ferguson held a brief press conference to share what he could at the time.
This was before Mitchell said the Beavers were casualties.
“As we said, around 10:15 a.m., we received reports that a jet crashed at the end of the east runway. When I came out, the plane was completely engulfed. We have multiple agencies coming. The FAA arrived around 12 today.
“They are taking over the scene and investigating. We have no information on the cause. The airport is closed until further notice. It will take time to clear the debris from the runway.”
AccuWeather provided the following update on the Statesville, North Carolina plane crash: “Severe weather conditions were reported near Statesville Regional Airport at the time of the crash. At 10:15 a.m., drizzle and clouds were near 1,200 feet. Clouds were reported to have dropped to approximately 400 feet, and at 10:30 a.m., heavy rain reduced visibility to less than 2 Miles. Weather conditions are often a key factor in investigators’ actions. “After a plane crash, it can take investigators several months to a year or more to determine whether weather conditions caused the crash. “
Shortly after the crash, the aircraft was quickly identified as a Cessna C550, tail number N257BW, owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC of Biffler.
Biffle was the 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion, the 2000 Craftsman Truck Series champion and was named one of the sport’s 75 greatest drivers in 2023 for his 19 wins at the top level from 2002 through sporadic starts this decade.
In recent years, Biffle has become known for her animal welfare-centered philanthropy through the Greg Biffle Foundation and her relief efforts following 2024’s Hurricane Helene. Biffle, a registered pilot, used helicopters to deliver supplies to western North Carolina in the aftermath of the devastating storm.
According to Kenny Wallace, Craig Wadsworth was also on the plane with the Biffle family.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available
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