Overview
- The jet crashed near a Statesville Regional Airport runway roughly 26 minutes after departing on Thursday morning.
- Flight tracking indicated the aircraft initially headed for Florida before turning back toward the airport shortly after takeoff.
- The Cessna C550 was registered to a company owned by the former NASCAR driver, according to registration records.
- Il Messaggero reports the victims included Biffle, his wife Cristina, their children aged 14 and 5, and fellow passengers Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
- Cristina Biffle texted her mother, "We’re in trouble," minutes before the crash, her mother relayed to People, as the FAA opened an investigation and the cause remains unclear.