Greg Biffle's Friend Says NASCAR Champion, Wife and Kids Were on Plane That Crashed with Multiple Fatalities

Greg Biffle's Friend Says NASCAR Champion, Wife and Kids Were on Plane That Crashed with Multiple Fatalities

The FAA confirmed to PEOPLE that a plane crashed around 10:20 a.m. on Dec. 18

Natasha Dye

Thu, December 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM UTC

2 min read

Jared Tilton/SRX/Getty Greg Biffle on June 25, 2022 — Jared Tilton/SRX/Getty
Greg Biffle on June 25, 2022

NEED TO KNOW

A friend of Greg Biffle said the NASCAR driver and his family were on board the plane that crashed in North Carolina with multiple fatalities on Dec. 18
Garrett Mitchell, who is also known as internet personality Cleetus McFarland, said Biffle and his family were on their way to "spend the afternoon with us"
Mitchell said he is "devastated" by the news and "so sorry to share this"

NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his wife and son were onboard their plane when it crashed Thursday morning in North Carolina, according to a friend.

Authorities said that a plane belonging to Biffle, 55, crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18.

The FAA confirmed the crash to PEOPLE and said an investigation was underway, and the Associated Press also reported that the FAA and local authorities confirmed that the crash has resulted in multiple fatalities.

Shortly after that news broke, fellow NASCAR driver and longtime friend of Biffle's, Garrett Mitchell, who is also known as internet personality Cleetus McFarland, said it was Biffle and his family on the plane.

"Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Christina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane...because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us," Mitchell wrote on Facebook. "We are devastated. I'm so sorry to share this."

Chris Graythen/Getty Greg Biffle on Feb. 19, 2022 — Chris Graythen/Getty
Greg Biffle on Feb. 19, 2022

Law enforcement has not yet confirmed the identities of those deceased.

Biffle and Mitchell became close friends over the years, bonding over their love of race cars and giving back to the community through hurricane relief efforts.

Records show that the plane is owned by Biffle, 55, through GB Aviation Leasing, according to local news outlets WSOC and Fox 8. The address on file for GB Aviation matches the address for Biffle, the outlets said.

A witness who was reportedly nearby the scene at Lakewood Golf Club told WSOC that they noticed the plane was flying "way too low" before the crash.

The station also said it had to have its own chopper "turn back due to inclement weather conditions that limited visibility at the airport to about 5 miles" while attempting to cover the crash area.

Biffle began his NASCAR career in 1995. He was one of just three drivers ever to win a championship in both the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. He was also named the 2001 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Busch Series before going on to becoming the 2002 champion. Biffle won 19 races from 2003 to 2016.Biffle married wife Cristina Grossu in 2023, and share a 5-year-old son Ryder. He also shares daughter Emma, 14, with ex-wife Nicole Lunders.

Read the original article on People

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