Horrifying Footage Shows Aircraft Carrying NASCAR Star Greg Biffle and His Family Engulfed in Flames

Rachel Perkins | December 19, 2025 | Celebrity | No Comments

A harrowing new video has emerged of the plane carrying NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his family, and three other individuals bursting into flames. The former racing champion was en route to Florida to celebrate his birthday, which was due on December 23, as confirmed by his mother-in-law.

Alarming Video of Greg Biffle’s Plane Engulfed in Flames Emerges

The mother-in-law of Greg Biffle revealed that the NASCAR veteran was on a birthday trip to Florida when the tragedy occurred. Biffle was set to celebrate his 56th birthday on December 23.

Recently released security footage captures the terrifying moment when a Cessna C550, carrying Biffle and six others, met with a disastrous end. The aircraft crashed and burst into flames while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport. The plane was en route to Sarasota, Florida, for what was intended to be a celebratory trip, as mentioned by Biffle’s mother-in-law.

The security footage reveals the horrifying instant when Greg Biffle’s plane, along with his family and three other passengers, caught fire at a North Carolina airport on Thursday morning. The video shows the Cessna C550 crashing and sliding down the runway at Statesville Regional Airport on December 18, resulting in a massive explosion and billowing clouds of dense, black smoke.

All seven individuals on board the business jet, registered under Biffle’s name, tragically lost their lives in the crash. Those killed included the 55-year-old NASCAR star, his 35-year-old wife Cristina Grossu Biffle, their five-year-old son Ryder, and Greg’s 14-year-old daughter Emma.

Also aboard the ill-fated aircraft were Craig Wadsworth, a well-recognized figure in NASCAR circles who previously drove ex-race car driver Kenny Wallace’s motorhome, and Dennis Dutton along with his son Jack. The chilling moment of the crash was captured in the video on December 18.

While Dennis Dutton was a commercial airline pilot, it remains uncertain who was piloting the aircraft when the accident occurred. Biffle had obtained certification to operate a multi-engine aircraft earlier this year, as reported by NBC affiliate WCNC, but his license did not permit him to be the sole pilot.

The Dutton family also suffered a loss in the crash. Jack Dutton, a graduate of Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina, in 2024, had recently earned certification as a single-engine pilot. Jack was a junior at Auburn University, pursuing his passion for aviation.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, 16 NTSB investigators traveled from Washington, D.C. to North Carolina late Thursday afternoon to reconstruct the final moments of the flight.

NTSB member Michael Graham is slated to give a press briefing on the ongoing investigation on Friday, December 19.

The aircraft departed the regional airport, which lacks a control tower, shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday morning, bound for Sarasota, Florida. According to FlightAware data, the plane turned back shortly after takeoff and was trying to land when the crash occurred.

Weather reports indicate that fog and heavy rain prevailed in the area at the time, stated Dan DePodwin of AccuWeather.

DePodwin, AccuWeather’s Vice President of Forecasting Operations, reported adverse weather conditions around Statesville Regional Airport at the time of the crash. He explained, ‘Heavy drizzle and a cloud ceiling near 1,200 feet were reported at 10:15 a.m. The cloud ceiling had reportedly lowered to around 400 feet, with heavy rain reducing visibility to less than 2 miles at 10:30 a.m.’

It is yet to be confirmed whether the weather conditions contributed to the accident.

In the final moments before the crash, Cristina Biffle sent a distressing text message, according to her mother. ‘She texted me from the plane and she said, ‘We’re in trouble.’ That was all,’ recounted Cathy Grossu. ‘We’re devastated. We’re brokenhearted.’

The group was on its way to Florida for a ‘birthday trip,’ Cathy revealed.

Biffle was due to celebrate his 56th birthday on Tuesday, December 23.