WASHINGTON — According to a report released Friday by federal safety officials, retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was not piloting his jet when it tragically crashed last month, claiming his life and the lives of six others. The report highlighted that, although an experienced pilot was at the helm, there was no qualified copilot on board.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report indicating that Biffle, along with retired airline pilot Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, all experienced pilots, encountered instrument malfunctions on their Cessna C550. The issues arose before the aircraft attempted to return to Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, culminating in the crash.

The aircraft burst into flames upon impact, coming down roughly a third of a mile (about 550 meters) from the airport’s runway, according to the report.

The NTSB clarified that Jack Dutton occupied the copilot seat. However, neither Jack Dutton nor Biffle held the necessary endorsements on their pilot licenses to officially serve as a copilot for that particular aircraft. Although the report does not specify if this lack of qualification contributed to the accident, it noted that a thrust reverser indicator light had malfunctioned prior to takeoff, and additional instruments, including the pilot’s altimeter, failed during the flight.

The exact nature of the aircraft’s problems remains under investigation, hampered by intermittent cockpit voice recordings. The NTSB has only just started to analyze the crash’s causes. Jack Dutton was heard over the radio saying, “we’re having some problems here,” as the cockpit recorder captured discussions among the three pilots about the plane’s difficulties.

Among the victims of the crash were Biffle’s wife, Cristina, and their children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14. The crash also claimed the life of his friend, Craig Wadsworth.

Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.

In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.

Hundreds of people in the NASCAR community gathered at an arena in Charlotte earlier this month to honor Biffle at a public memorial service.

The jet had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte about 10 minutes before it crashed while trying to return and land.

The plane’s speed and altitude fluctuated significantly during the brief flight. At one point, the plane quickly soared from 1,800 feet (550 meters) up to 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) before descending again. Just before the crash, it was only a couple of hundred feet off the ground. Experts said its path was consistent with a flight crew that experienced an issue and needed to return quickly.

The video in the player above is from an earlier report.