© Mike Dinovo/Imagn
A plane registered to former NASCAR star Greg Biffle crashed Thursday, leading to multiple fatalities, according to reports.
Late Thursday morning, news broke of a Cessna 550 Citation plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. Shortly after, reports emerged that the plane in question was registered to Biffle and that there were multiple fatalities in the crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green, who was playing golf at the nearby Lakewood Golf Club at the time of the crash. “It was scary.”
According to Associated Press, the ninth hole of the golf course was covered in debris.
Update..This was the flight path of the Cessna 550 Citation that took off from Statesville airport and immediately turned around and tried to land. It did crash on that landing attempt back at the airport. More–>https://t.co/kAMeQu1QQM pic.twitter.com/rBeME1bX8o
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) December 18, 2025
Police have yet to confirm the identities of those on board; however, racer Garrett Mitchell, who was hosting an event that Biffle was allegedly en route to, posted on Facebook stating that Biffle, as well as his family, were on board the plane.
UPDATE: Both NASCAR and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, with which Biffle spent the majority of his career, have now confirmed that Biffle was one of the victims of the plane crash. Also on board the plane were Biffle’s wife, Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, as well as three additional passengers.
“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said in a statement. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.
“…Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Greg’s entire family, friends, and all who were touched by his life.”
Greg Biffle Was An Experienced Pilot
Biffle was a late bloomer on the NASCAR scene. He won the 2000 NASCAR Truck Series championship at the age of 31, then the NASCAR Busch Series (now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) crown in 2002 at 33 years old.
He made his full-time debut in the Cup Series for Roush Racing in 2003 and won his first race at the iconic Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway that July.
By 2005, Biffle had established himself as one of the series’ top drivers, winning six races and finishing second in the points standings to Tony Stewart.
He’d go on to win 19 races in his Cup Series career, and in 2023, he was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Early in his career, Biffle also obtained his pilot’s license. He intended it as a way to get from track to track more easily. But it quickly became a passion.
That passion grew after Biffle retired from full-time racing in 2016. Just last year, the Washington native was hailed as a hero when he used his personal aircraft to deliver supplies and aid victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
As a result, NASCAR named Biffle as the recipient of the 2024 Myers Brothers Award, which celebrates “individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.”