Small plane owned by ex-NASCAR driver crash lands at NC airport

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News on Dec 18, 2025

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A small plane owned by a former NASCAR driver crash landed and exploded into flames at a regional airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning.

The Cessna C550 was registered to GB Aviation Leasing, a company owned by ex-racer Greg Biffle, according to Charlotte NBC affiliate WCNC.

The plane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, about 40 miles north of Charlotte, just after 10:15 a.m., the airport said in a Facebook post. Videos from the scene showed a massive fire spewing smoke from the runway, while multiple emergency vehicles responded to the wreck.

Everyone onboard the plane is believed dead, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office told local CBS affiliate WBTV. Cops said there were multiple victims, but they have not been publicly identified.

The plane took off from Statesville Airport around 10:05 a.m. but quickly turned around and headed back, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware. A witness told local ABC affiliate WSOC the plane was flying “way too low” on its return.

Statesville Airport is frequently used for private jet travel, most often by corporate executives and NASCAR teams.

Biffle competed in NASCAR races from 2003 to 2016, winning 19 races. His best season-long championship finish was second place in 2005.