The small plane that crashed Thursday while attempting a landing at North Carolina’s Statesville Regional Airport was owned by Greg Biffle, a former NASCAR driver who won 19 Cup Series races in his 20-year career. FAA records show that the plane, a Cessna C550 with the tail number N257BW, is registered to an LLC called GB Aviation Leasing. Flight data shows that the plane took off from the Statesville airport before quickly returning for the attempted landing. No information about the pilot or who were on board has been released as of now.In a brief press conference, city and airport officials confirmed that the crash occurred at around 10:15 a.m., and added that the FAA arrived to take over the crash site at around noon. City manager Ron Smith told reporters that the crash response and investigation is part of a “multi-agency response,” adding that ” We’ve had city, county state, feds are here … everybody is here on site at this point.””Multiple fatalities are being reported, though the exact number of passengers aboard the plane—which has a capacity of 7 to 8—remains unclear,” a news agency reported. A witness from the nearby Lakewood Gold Club said the aircraft was flying way too low before it crashed.Prayers for Greg Biffle poured in on social media while the details about the crash victims and their condition or how many people were there, are yet to be confirmed.”Greg is the racing hero who personally piloted hundreds of rescue and supply missions in his helicopter across Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene,” one wrote. “Greg is the NASCAR driver and hero who flew hundreds of rescue missions in Western North Carolina in his helicopter after Hurricane Helene,” another wrote.”Unconfirmed reports from local media that Greg and his family were on board. PLEASE pray that’s not the case. Biffle has touched so many lives. The Cessna Citation II had just taken off, a loud noise was heard by those on the ground, and the plane attempted to quickly land again. Heartbreaking,” Nick Sortor posted.
Greg Biffle used his helicopter for Helene rescue
After Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina and nearby regions, Biffle used his personal helicopter to fly into isolated mountain communities that had been cut off by flooding and washed-out roads. He initially flew to help a single stranded family in Banner Elk, then continued doing multiple daily flights for over a week, delivering food, water, medicine, baby formula, diapers, generators and other essentials to people who had no access by road.
