NASCAR
NTSB Makes First Reports from Greg Biffle Aviation Tragedy
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published a preliminary report on the December 18 plane crash from Statesville, North Carolina. This aviation accident killed seven people, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family. This report confirmed who was in control of the aircraft as well as a few possible mechanical issues.
No definitive probable cause was listed for this crash. That information will likely come in a final NTSB report in 12-18 months.
The Cessna Citation 550 (tail number N257BW) crashed roughly nine minutes after taking off from Statesville (N.C.) Regional Airport. The plane did attempt to return to this airport and crashed 1,030 feet shy of the runway.
This crash’s seven victims included: Biffle; his wife Cristina Grossu, 14-year-old daughter Emma and 5-year-old son Ryder; pilots Dennis Dutton and his son Jack; and Biffle employee Craig Wadsworth. They were all flying to Bradenton (Fla.) to see racer and content creator Cleetus McFarland.
The NTSB report verified that Dennis Dutton was the pilot, and Jack was serving as co-pilot. Dennis Dutton was an airline-rated pilot, while Jack was not. Jack had 175 hours of flying experience, far less than the threshold needed to copilot a Citation 550. The report also states that Dennis Dutton was mandated to have an authorized copilot.
Biffle, a licensed helicopter and multi-engine plane pilot, was sitting in the rear passenger seat and tried to help both Duttons solve possible issues on this plane. Shortly after takeoff, cockpit voice recordings hear Biffle say the left engine was producing more power (thrust) than the right one. Biffle also assisted the Duttons with directions and finding the runway again with a cloud ceiling at 1,200 feet.
NTSB investigators also say the plane’s altitude indicator was not working, in addition to other instruments on the aircraft’s left side. Crash scene investigators also say there was no evidence of any catastrophic engine malfunction.
Several minutes’ worth of cockpit voice recording data are available on multiple channels, however the audio quality was described as poor quality. “[E]xtraordinary means were required to make portions of the recording intelligible,” the report said.
Tributes to the life and racing career of Greg Biffle are expected from the NASCAR family throughout this season. Biffle saw a majority of his NASCAR tenure driving for Roush, now RFK Racing. Their quartet of cars will race numbers in Biffle’s stylized font at the Daytona 500. This effort is being mirrored by Kaulig Racing, who currently fields the No. 16 entry for AJ Allmendinger. Biffle won 19 Cup races, the 2002 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 2000 Craftsman Truck Series all for Jack Roush.
Biffle’s family has also started the Biffle Family Legacy Impact Fund. Teaming up with the Foundation for the Carolinas, it will support people in need who also have values and passion for helping others.
Biffle had recent attention on his humanitarian work in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene. He flew his helicopter to deliver supplies, communication equipment, and perform rescues across western North Carolina.
The full NTSB report can be found here.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to Tom Pennington/Getty Images
