NASCAR icon Greg Biffle, his wife and two children have died in the fiery North Carolina plane crash, according to his close friend.
Multiple fatalities were reported Thursday after a Cessna C550 private jet, owned by the 55-year-old, crashed on the runway at Statesville Regional Airport around 10.15am, according to aviation records.
The plane, which was on its way to Sarasota, Florida, was seen engulfed in flames as emergency crews rushed to the terrifying scene, about 45 minutes from Charlotte.
On Thursday afternoon, Garrett Mitchell, one of Biffle’s friends, shared the sad news that the NASCAR driver, wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were onboard.
‘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,’ Mitchell, who often appears in YouTube videos with Biffle, wrote on Facebook.
‘We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this,’ he stated.
There were six people on the private plane when it fell from the sky. It is unclear who was piloting the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) told the Daily Mail that the Cessna C550 crashed while attempting to land.
NASCAR icon Greg Biffle tragically died in a fiery plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina Thursday morning, according to his friend
Garrett Mitchell, who often appears in YouTube videos with Biffle, wrote on Facebook to say his friend was on board the plane
Biffle is seen with his wife, Cristina, their five-year-old son, Ryder and Biffle’s daughter, Emma
The plane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport before a massive fire erupted on the runway. The six people on board died
It comes after Biffle posted a picture of him piloting the very same plane in September.
According to FAA records, the aircraft belongs to the semi-retired NASCAR driver who was seen in a smiling snap with President Donald Trump in February at the NASCAR Cup series in Daytona Beach, Florida.
He married his ex-wife, Nicole Lunders, in October 2007. They share a teenage daughter, Emma Elizabeth, together. The pair got divorced in 2016.
Biffle went on to marry his current wife, Cristina Grossu, in January 2023 after getting engaged in 2021. They share five-year-old Ryder.
Nearly 24 hours before the fatal crash, Cristina posted a picture in the car on her Instagram story with the caption: ‘Busy day today.’
She then shared a picture of Martha Stewart with an inspirational statement on it.
Grossu was a realtor, CEO of My Replica Ring, and a travel agent for CG Luxe Travel, according to her Instagram account.
The couple often posted pictures together online at family and racing events.
Garrett Mitchell (left) is seen with Biffle (bottom right) and other friends
Biffle is seen taking a selfie with President Donald Trump in February in Daytona Beach, Florida
Biffle made headlines last year for flying the plane around The Tar Heel State, rescuing stranded citizens, and running emergency relief during Hurricane Helene.
The professional race car driver, also known as ‘the Biff’, was born in Vancouver, Washington, and started his racing career in the Pacific Northwest.
The tragedy comes 10 years after Biffle was involved in a minor plane crash on the runway at Kentucky’s Lexington Airport.
He and two pilots were left unharmed after a landing-gear malfunction caused his plane to collapse while landing at the airport, NASCAR said at the time.
Biffle went on to call the pilots ‘heroes’ for stopping the wing from leaving the runway and heading into the grass.
‘My pilots did a remarkable job,’ he said.
Biffle is seen with his wife, Cristina and their five-year-old son, Ryder
The avid flyer is seen inside the same plane that crashed Thursday
NASCAR also has a devastatingly long list of big names who have died in plane crashes.
Alan Kulwicki, Davey Allison, Richie Panch, Curtis Turner, Jack Roush, and more have sadly lost their lives in previous incidents.
In 2004, 10 NASCAR staffers from the same team were all killed in a plane crash into the mountains in Stuart, Virginia.
The Hendrick Motorsports team members and two pilots tragically died in the incident.
Multiple members of the Hendrick family, including Hendrick Motorsports President John Hendrick, his twin daughters, and Ricky Hendrick, former Busch Series driver, died.
