Local authorities confirmed that the crash has resulted in fatalities.

NASCAR star and family killed in plane crash at North Carolina airport

Local authorities confirmed that the crash has resulted in fatalities.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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December 18, 2025 3:15 p.m. ET

Greg Biffle. Credit:

Jared Tilton/SRX/SRX via Getty

A plane belonging to NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashed at a North Carolina airport, leading to multiple fatalities, including Biffle and his wife and children.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to ** that a Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina around 10:20 a.m. local time. Six people were reported to be on board. "The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates," the agency said.

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Records reviewed by EW show that the plane is owned GB Aviation Leasing, with local news outlets WSOC and Fox 8 reporting that the address on file for GB Aviation matches the address for Biffle.

According to flight tracking data posted by FlightAware, the Cessna was bound for Sarasota, Fla. The plane took off from the North Carolina airport shortly after 10 a.m. but then returned and was attempting to land there when it crashed.

The airport is closed until further notice as crews work to remove debris from the runway, according to Statesville Regional Airport director John Ferguson.

The Associated Press also reported that the FAA and local authorities confirmed that the crash has resulted in multiple fatalities.

Shortly after the news broke, fellow NASCAR driver Garrett Mitchell, who is also known as internet personality Cleetus McFarland, said he knew it was Biffle and his family that were on the plane.

"Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Christina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane...because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us," Mitchell wrote in a post shared on Facebook. "We are devastated. I'm so sorry to share this."

Law enforcement has not yet confirmed the identities of those deceased.

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Biffle married wife Cristina Grossu in 2023, and the couple shared 5-year-old son Ryder. He shared daughter Emma, 14, with ex-wife Nicole Lunders.

Biffle began his NASCAR career in 1995. According to his page on the NASCAR Hall of Fame site, he was named the 1998 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Rookie of Year and the 2000 series champion. He was also the 2001 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Busch Series before going on to becoming the 2002 champion. Biffle won 19 races from 2003 to 2016 and was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.

The investigation remains ongoing as of Thursday afternoon.**

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