Statesville, N.C, 19 December (H.S.): NASCAR luminary Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, and three others perished Thursday when their Cessna Citation C550 corporate jet crashed and ignited during landing at Statesville Regional Airport, officials confirmed Friday.

The aircraft, owned by Biffle's GB Aviation and airborne for mere minutes after a 10:06 a.m. departure, veered to the runway's east end by 10:20 a.m., erupting in flames that scorched responders. The National Transportation Safety Board dispatches investigators to probe mechanical failure, pilot error, or weather amid the site's NASCAR and corporate clientele.

Hailing from Vancouver, Washington, the 55-year-old The Biff clinched 19 victories, the 2000 Craftsman Truck Series title, 2002 Xfinity championship—first dual crown—and 2023's 75 Greatest Drivers nod, co-founding the Sand Outlaws Series. Post-2016 retirement, he triumphed in a 2019 Texas one-off, embodying competition's adrenaline as quoted in 2021 .

Off-track, Biffle helicoptered Hurricane Helene victims in western North Carolina last year, securing the Myers Brothers humanitarian award.

NASCAR eulogized Biffle as a fierce competitor whose integrity endures, while Governor Josh Stein hailed his post-storm valor on X. YouTuber Garrett Mitchell disclosed the family's fatal en route visit, naming victims alongside Dennis Dutton, son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth. Airport chief John Ferguson shuttered KSVH—45 minutes north of Charlotte—for debris removal, as tributes flood social media.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar