A small aircraft crashed on Thursday while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, prompting an investigation by federal aviation authorities.
Flight and registration data show that former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle owns the aircraft. Biffle won 19 NASCAR Cup Series races during a career that spanned two decades.
The aircraft involved was a Cessna C550 Citation with tail number N257BW. Federal Aviation Administration records list the owner as GB Aviation Leasing, a limited liability company linked to Biffle.
Flight tracking data indicates the jet took off from Statesville Regional Airport and quickly turned back. The pilot attempted to land moments later, but the aircraft crashed during the approach.
🔴#BREAKING: Carolina plane Crash, The private jet, a Cessna Citation II, which crashed earlier this morning at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, "contained NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle, his wife, and children."#planecrash #nascar #NorthCarolina pic.twitter.com/fYTyxARssz
— U R B A N S E C R E T S 🤫 (@stiwari1510) December 18, 2025Meteorologist Brad Panovich confirmed the flight path in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He said the aircraft returned immediately after takeoff and went down during the landing attempt at the same airport.
Video footage recorded at the scene appears to show burning wreckage matching the aircraft’s tail number. Officials have not yet verified the video.
Statesville Regional Airport acknowledged the incident in a statement released Thursday morning. Airport officials said the crash occurred at 10:15 a.m. local time.
The FAA has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the crash. Authorities have not released details about the pilot or whether passengers were on board.
As of early afternoon, officials had not reported any confirmed injuries or fatalities. Investigators are expected to release additional information after assessing the wreckage and flight data.
