Background
On December 18, 2025, a Cessna 550 Citation II business jet crashed in Statesville, North Carolina, approximately 45 miles north of Charlotte. The aircraft, registration N257BW, was manufactured in 1981 and owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a company owned by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. The flight was scheduled to depart from Statesville Airport, a small regional airport without a control tower, and fly to Florida, where it was to spend most of the day. The aircraft carried seven occupants. Weather conditions shortly after the crash included low clouds and light rain, with visibility less than three miles.
Crash
The aircraft departed Statesville Airport from runway 10 at 10:06 a.m. local time. It traveled approximately 11 miles before turning sharply left back toward the airport. The plane reached a maximum altitude of 4,300 feet. Upon returning, it crashed on the east side of the runway while attempting to land. The wreckage caught fire after the crash.
Victims
All seven occupants were killed: Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their daughter Emma, their son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth, pilot Dennis Dutton, and his son Jack Dutton. Dennis Dutton, a former Delta Air Lines pilot, held a valid type rating for the Cessna 550, which requires two type-rated pilots. Greg Biffle and Jack Dutton were licensed pilots but not type-rated. Early speculation about regulatory violations was addressed in January 2026 when the NTSB identified Biffle as a non-flying passenger. The NTSB determined that Dennis Dutton was the captain and Jack Dutton occupied the first officer's seat.
Aftermath
Following the crash, Statesville Airport was closed due to debris on the runway. Biffle's home was reportedly robbed several weeks later.
Investigation
The NTSB began an investigation, recovering the cockpit voice recorder, ground proximity warning system, a Garmin GTN 750 display, and various cockpit instruments. A preliminary report was released on January 30, 2026, based on CVR recordings and Garmin data (the aircraft lacked a flight data recorder). The report noted that the left engine did not start on the first attempt, and the captain and right-seat pilot-passenger discussed a malfunctioning thrust reverser indicator, though the reversers appeared functional. The captain was pilot flying; the right-seat occupant served as pilot monitoring. During descent, a pilot-passenger mentioned temperature reading discrepancies between engines, but the issue was not pursued. The captain reported problems with the Garmin altimeter, which then stopped recording altitude and later heading data. The right-seat pilot-passenger briefly took controls before the captain resumed, turned back toward the airport, and called for flap and landing gear extension; however, the flap and landing gear lights were not illuminated. A passenger asked if the alternator was functioning properly. The final report is expected within 12 to 24 months.