(SRN NEWS/AP) – A business jet carrying seven people, including retired NASCAR race driver Greg Biffle and his family, crashed Thursday at an airport in North Carolina, killing everyone aboard, authorities said.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground while trying to land at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte. Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle.
“Although the post-crash fire prevents us from releasing a definitive list of the occupants at this time, it is believed that Mr. Gregory Biffle and members of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane,” state police said.
He was on the plane with his wife, Cristina, and their children, Ryder and Emma. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
Biffle, 55, 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.