Greg Biffle plane crash details: What to know about deadly 2025 accident that killed former NASCAR driver and family

Two wrongful death lawsuits have been filed in connection to the plane crash that killed seven people, including NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife and his two children, ESPN reported Friday.

In December 2025, a plane owned by Biffle crashed shortly after takeoff from Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The Cessna C550 business jet reportedly crashed at the end of the runway, with seven people killed.

As of Friday, the estate of two pilots killed in the crash, Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack Dutton, are now reportedly alleging that "inadequate maintenance and upkeep contributed to the crash."

Here's what to know about the 2025 plane crash that killed Biffle, his family and three others.

Greg Biffle plane crash details

In December 2025, a Cessna C550 business jet owned by Greg Biffle crashed at the end of the runway at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The crash killed seven people: Greg Biffle, his wife, Cristina, his two kids, five-year-old Ryder and 14-year-old Emma, along with pilot Dennis Dutton, his son, Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth.

At the time, a joint statement was released from the combined Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders families regarding the plane crash. 

The plane was owned by Biffle through GB Aviation Leasing, per WSOC. It had taken off from the airport around 10 a.m. ET, but then returned and was attempting to land at the airport again. It was reportedly supposed to fly from Sarasota, Florida, to Treasure Cay International Airport in the Bahamas, before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Statesville by evening.

A witness told WSOC that the jet was “way too low” before there was “a huge explosion.” The crash happened around 10:15 a.m. ET, and the airport where it occurred was often used by NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies, per WSOC.

Reports later indicated that Dennis Dutton was flying the aircraft when it crashed. A preliminary report in 2026 revealed that "the plane's altimeter was giving incorrect readings and that Dennis Dutton had turned control over to his son shortly before the crash," per ESPN, and the plane "erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground about a third of a mile from the airport's runway."

According to ESPN, the National Transportation Safety Board said that Jack Sutton was sitting in the copilot seat, but neither Jack Sutton nor Biffle "had the right endorsement on their pilot's licenses to serve as a copilot" for the plane. Additionally, an aviation safety consultant, Jeff Guzzetti, said he "believes the lack of an experienced copilot may have been a key factor in the crash," per ESPN.

A final report from the NTSB has not yet been released.

People previously reported that minutes before the plane crash, Cristina Grossu Biffle, Greg's wife, sent a text to her mother, Cathy, that said, "We're in trouble." Cathy Grossu also told people that the group killed in the plane crash was planning go out for a "birthday trip" in Florida.

How did Greg Biffle's plane crash?

As of May 2026, the official cause of the crash that killed Biffle and six others remains under investigation by the NTSB.

However, the preliminary report on the crash involving Biffle and his family said that Biffle, Dennis Dutton, and Jack Dutton all "noticed problems with gauges malfunctioning on the Cessna C550 before it crashed while trying to return to the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina," per ESPN.

The report said, per ESPN, that a "thrust reverser indicator light wasn't working before takeoff, but after the plane got into the air, the pilot's altimeter and some other instruments weren't working on the left side of the cockpit." It then stated that "the pilot temporarily transferred control over to the copilot while he tried to troubleshoot the problems."

The report added that while Dennis Dutton, an experienced pilot, was at the controls, there was nobody else on board who was qualified to be the required copilot.

The plane erupted into a fire when it hit the ground about a third of a mile from the airport's runway.

Per ESPN, the cause of the plane's problems remains unclear, partially due to the cockpit voice recorder cutting out at times. It did capture Jack Dutton announcing, "We're having some problems here," and part of a conversation between the pilots about the issues with the plane; the preliminary report also indicated that the pilots were able to solve the issue with the gauges before trying to land back at the airport.

It remains unclear why the plane came in so low and slow that it "clipped two poles of landing lights" before crashing, per ESPN, and investigators discovered the throttle "in the full forward position when they examined the wreckage."

When did Greg Biffle die?

Biffle was killed in a plane crash on Dec. 18, 2025, in Statesville, North Carolina. All other passengers and crew of the plane, including Biffle's wife and his two children, were also killed.

How old was Greg Biffle when he died?

Greg Biffle was 55 years old at the time of his death in December 2025.

Greg Biffle lawsuit

On Friday, ESPN reported that the estate of pilots Dennis Dutton and Jack Dutton filed two wrongful death lawsuits in connection with the December 2025 plane crash. The case was reportedly filed in Iredell County Superior Court.

The lawsuits each seek $15 million in damages, per ESPN, and allege that Biffle, the owner of the aircraft, was "responsible for ensuring the plane was properly maintained," but "inadequate maintenance and upkeep contributed to the crash."

Greg Biffle NASCAR career

Biffle's racing career included a NASCAR Hall of Fame nomination and a spot on NASCAR’s list of its 75 greatest drivers.

He won the Rookie of the Year in 1998 and the 2000 series championship in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, plus the 2001 Rookie of the Year award and the 2002 championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He became the first driver to win titles in both circuits. Biffle had 19 victories in 515 Cup Series starts from 2002-16.

Biffle retired from full-time racing in 2016, but still remained involved in motorsports part-time for years leading up to his death. He was considered "semi-retired." Biffle briefly returned to the Cup Series in 2022 to participate in the Daytona 500 and a few other races for NY Racing Team.

NASCAR also released a statement at the time of Biffle's death.

“NASCAR is devastated by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton in a fatal plane crash. Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many. His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport," the statement read. "On the track, Greg’s talent and tenacity earned him championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, as well as numerous wins and accolades in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Beyond his racing career, he gave of himself for the betterment of our community. Most notably, Greg spent countless hours of his time helping the citizens of North Carolina during the disasters that followed Hurricane Helene. His tireless work saved lives. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Greg’s entire family, friends, and all who were touched by his life.”