NTSB recovers ‘black box' from Greg Biffle plane, no ‘Mayday' call made before deadly crash

Federal officials said the plane made contact with a runway stanchion before crashing into trees and two other light supports near the runway.

STATESVILLE, N.C. — Federal officials with the National Transportation Safety Board provided new details Friday about the plane crash that killed seven people, including NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina and two of his children, at Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday.

A Cessna C550 aircraft carrying Biffle's family crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport at approximately 10:15 a.m. Thursday. Records show the plane was heading to Florida.

During a news briefing in Statesville on Friday, NTSB board member Michael Graham said investigators recovered the plane's cockpit voice recorder, known commonly as the “black box,” from the wreckage. Graham said the recorder is being sent to Washington, D.C. for further analysis. Graham explained that the plane wasn't required to have a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.

Graham said while a preliminary report could come in as little as 30 days, the full NTSB report on the crash won't be available until at least 12-18 months, which is standard procedure. Statesville's airport remains closed until further notice and is expected to remain closed through at least Saturday.

Graham said it's still unclear who was flying the plane when it crashed. He confirmed that three people on board had active pilot's licenses. Federal records show at least two certified pilots were on the plane at the time of the crash: Biffle and Dennis Dutton, an airline transport pilot. Dutton's son, Jack Dutton, was recently certified as a single-engine pilot, according to FAA records.

NTSTB investigator-in-charge Dan Baker said the plane departed the airport at 10:05 a.m., approximately 10 minutes before the crash. Baker said the plane showed an initial turn left to the west, followed by another left turn back toward the airport. The plane never made it back, crashing just short of the runway. NTSB officials are not aware of any Mayday calls from the aircraft.

“The airplane impacted trees, two other light stanchions and the airport perimeter fence short of the runway threshold before coming to a rest,” Baker said.

Graham said the debris field is at least 1,800 feet, with debris being scattered from the initial point of contact and where the plane came to a stop.

Baker said both engines were present with the main wreck. Fire consumed most of the inboard fuselage, according to Baker. Investigators are currently reviewing weather data, video footage, witness statements, audio recordings and other information as part of the investigation. The NTSB is encouraging anyone who saw the crash or has video of the incident to share that video with investigators to help paint a clearer picture of the wreck.

“Video will sometimes tell us a lot,” Graham said. “Additional video on approach would be really helpful to us, to get an idea of how high or how low that aircraft was.”

Internet personality Cleetus McFarland, a popular YouTuber and professional racer, confirmed the family was coming to visit him. Biffle and McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, first connected when Biffle organized relief efforts for Hurricane Helene survivors in western North Carolina.

FAA registration confirmed the plane's tail number, N257BW, is owned by GB Aviation Leasing, a company owned by Biffle. The Cessna 550 multi-engine plane was made in 1981, but former NTSB investigator Greg Feith said the age of the aircraft should not raise alarm. However, ensuring its maintenance is critical.

“If we were required to maintain our automobiles like we're required to maintain an aircraft, your car would last 30 or 40 years,” Feith said. “It'll come down to what kind of maintenance has been done in the recent past, not only on the airframe, but also on those engines. Was there a chronic problem? Was there a symptomatic issue that had developed in the recent past? Was it maintained properly? These are the kinds of questions that the NTSB will put together with regard to maintenance records.”