A tragedy unfolded at a North Carolina regional airport, a favored hub for NASCAR teams and major corporations, when a business jet crashed on Thursday. The incident resulted in a significant fire and multiple fatalities, according to local authorities.

Records indicate that the aircraft was registered to a company managed by Greg Biffle.

State police mentioned that while the intense fire post-crash has delayed the release of a complete list of those on board, it is suspected that Greg Biffle and his immediate family were among the passengers.

Biffle was reportedly traveling with his wife, Cristina, and their children, Ryder and Emma. The crash also claimed the lives of Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

Greg Biffle, aged 55, was a celebrated figure in NASCAR, having secured over 50 victories across its three major circuits, including 19 wins in the Cup Series. He claimed the Truck Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.

The NASCAR community expressed its profound sorrow upon hearing the tragic news.

“Greg was more than a champion driver; he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said.

“His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”

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

The Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport, about 72 kilometres north of Charlotte, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.

“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating. AccuWeather says there was some drizzle and clouds at the time of the crash.

The plane took off from the airport shortly after 10 a.m. but then returned and was attempting to land there, according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.

The plane had planned to fly later from Sarasota, Florida, to Treasure Cay International Airport in the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Statesville by evening, data showed.

Video from WSOC-TV showed first responders rushing onto the runway as flames burned near scattered wreckage from the plane.

The airport’s website states that it offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams.