A disastrous airplane accident has claimed the lives of ex-NASCAR champion Greg Biffle and his family, as well as four other victims, in a horrific airplane crash at the Statesville Regional Airport in the state of North Carolina. The Cessna C550 business aircraft crashed and caught fire as it attempted to land on Thursday, the 18th of December.
Tragic crash takes NASCAR legend and family members
Greg Biffle, a former NASCAR driver, his wife Cristina, 5-year-old son named Ryder, as well as 14-year-old daughter Emma, were among the seven people who died due to the plane crashing around 10:15 a.m. on Thursday. As the plane carried all its passengers on board when the accident took place, the plane belonged to an organization with which Biffle had connections, according to Reuters.
According to a report by the North Carolina Highway Patrol, there is still a process underway regarding the identification of the casualties due to the fierce fire that engulfed the plane upon impact with the runway. Other casualties include Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth, a much-loved member of the NASCAR community who will be dearly missed.
Severe weather conditions made it difficult for the plane to land
The flight route had been intended to proceed to Sarasota, in the State of Florida, but the plane turned around for the Statesville Regional Airport shortly after take-off due to the unfavorable weather conditions, which were characterized by intense drizzling and a cloud ceiling of about 1,200 feet, as evident from the meteorological conditions by AccuWeather.
Greg Biffle has been a 19-time Cup Series champion in NASCAR and the only driver to win the series in both the Xfinity series and the Truck series. He competed as a full-time NASCAR Cup series driver from 2003 through 2016 and has the most starts recorded with 92 top-five starts and 175 top-10 starts, making him the most popular NASCAR racing driver.
According to the reports filed by officials of NASCAR, there was an alleged claim that the driver was honored “for his or her success and characteristics exhibited in the NASCAR environment” that “he or she is a loved member of the NASCAR family, a competitor, and a friend of numerous members of the NASCAR community.”The influence of Biffle within the NASCAR environment is not just limited to influence.
Investigation launched as aviation industry awaits full explanations
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent an extensive go-team to analyze this plane crash, and 16 members have arrived to conduct an investigation related to recorders, power plants, drones, and family assistance. The Federal Aviation Administration is collaborating with other officials to conduct an investigation of this plane crash, which will take several months to determine the cause of this unfortunate plane crash.
Airport official John Ferguson has confirmed that he was on board when the plane crashed over the east end of the runway, seen in photographs of a massive fire engulfing wreckage lying on the surface of the tarmac. The airport itself has also been shut down until further notice in order to clean up the mess of the debris where the investigations are taking place.
“Greg and Cristina were loving parents and philanthropists whose lives revolved around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter, Emma,” said a statement posted by the families.”Every one of them was everything to us and will leave an immeasurable void in our lives.”
This tragic loss is one of the worst NASCAR has experienced in a long time because this is not just a loss of a champion NASCAR driver but a loss of a devoted family man and a humanitarian who has influenced so many people as well. The NASCAR community is still trying to come to terms with this loss while at the same time celebrating the contributions of Greg Biffle on and off the racetrack throughout his career.
