Nascar icon Greg Biffle, his wife and two children have been named as the people killed in Thursday’s plane crash in North Carolina.
Multiple people were reported dead after a Cessna C550 private jet crashed at Statesville Regional Airport around 10.15am local time.
The plane, which was on its way to Sarasota, Florida, was seen engulfed in flames – while thick plumes of black smoke could be seen for miles around.
And in a tragic twist, Garrett Mitchell, one of Mr Biffle’s friends, confirmed the racing legend, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on board.
“Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane… because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us,” Mr Mitchell wrote on Facebook.
Mr Biffle, who was set to celebrate his 56th birthday is next week, won 19 Cup Series races over 20 years and was named one of Nascar’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.
As well as the jet plane, he also owned a helicopter – which he used as part of rescue efforts to help people in North Carolina stranded by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
The airport had earlier said in a statement: “We can confirm there has been an aircraft incident at the Statesville Regional Airport.
Nascar icon Greg Biffle, his wife and two children have been named as the people killed in Thursday’s plane crash
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“At approximately 10.15am, an aircraft crashed while landing.
“Federal Aviation Administration is en route and will investigate the incident.
“No further details are available at this time.”
It is not currently clear how many people were onboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.
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The plane, which was on its way to Sarasota, Florida, was seen engulfed in flames
Statesville Regional Airport (pictured) confirmed an ‘aircraft incident’ had taken place
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It is understood the aircraft had taken off from the airport shortly before the crash and that the pilot had attempted to turn the aircraft around and land it.
Statesville Regional Airport is owned by the city and provides services for top US companies and several Nascar racing teams, according to its website.
The airport is located about 45 minutes away from the city of Charlotte.
An online flight tracking tool shows a Cessna 550 plane took off from the airport at 10.06am, though it is not currently clear if this was the aircraft involved in the crash.