OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
11:48 AM – Thursday, December 18, 2025
A private business jet registered to a company linked to former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashed and erupted into flames on Thursday morning at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, authorities confirmed, resulting in six fatalities, according to a reputable source who spoke with CNN.
The aircraft, a Cessna C550 Citation II with tail number N257BW, took off from the airport at around 10:06 a.m. local time before quickly turning back for an emergency return. It crashed while attempting to land shortly after 10:15 a.m., coming to rest off the end of the runway and bursting into a massive fireball with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Eyewitness videos and photos from the scene captured the intense blaze as emergency responders rushed to the site. Initially, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office vaguely confirmed “several” deaths, though another source with viable credentials has since reached out to CNN, maintaining that six people died on board.
Some local reports also mention that witnesses and family friends have indicated that Biffle and his wife Cristina were in fact on the plane, but this remains unconfirmed by officials.
Additionally, more unconfirmed reports from friends — particularly a statement from ARCA driver Garrett Mitchell, who was a close friend of Biffle — have suggested that Biffle, his wife, their son Ryder Jack, and Biffle’s daughter Emma, from a previous relationship, were on the plane.
Nonetheless, local authorities have not yet confirmed these claims.
Public records show the plane is owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a North Carolina-based company directly linked to Biffle, the 55-year-old former NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Biffle, a NASCAR veteran with 19 Cup Series wins, championships in the Truck Series (2000) and Xfinity Series (2002), and a runner-up finish in the 2005 Cup standings, had largely stepped away from full-time racing but remained active in aviation. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2016.
However, Biffle has made occasional part-time appearances in racing, such as part-time ARCA starts, despite no longer being a full-time competitor on the NASCAR circuit.
Biffle gained attention last year for using his helicopter to deliver supplies during Hurricane Helene relief efforts in western North Carolina. In late September 2024, shortly after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina with catastrophic flooding and landslides, Biffle stepped up in a big way. As a licensed pilot with a passion for aviation, Biffle used his personal helicopter to deliver critical supplies to isolated mountain communities cut off by destroyed roads and bridges.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash, with the NTSB leading the probe. Officials noted fog in the area at the time, but no other contributing factors have been confirmed.
The Statesville Regional Airport, a facility serving corporate aviation and several NASCAR teams, was closed indefinitely following the incident.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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