Deadly North Carolina crash of business jet connected to retired NASCAR driver
A business jet carrying six people crashed on Thursday at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, causing a large fire adn multiple fatalities.the Cessna C550, registered to a company owned by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, was attempting to land after taking off earlier that morning. Witnesses nearby, including golfers at a local course, saw the plane flying unusually low before the crash. Authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the incident. The airport serves corporate clients, including NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies. Weather conditions at the time included drizzle and clouds.
Multiple deaths reported in North Carolina crash of business jet connected to retired NASCAR driver
A business jet with six people aboard crashed Thursday at a regional airport in North Carolina used by NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies, erupting in a large fire and killing multiple people, authorities said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle.
There were six people on the Cessna C550 that crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said.
At a news conference, Statesville Regional Airport manager John Ferguson says federal authorities are at the scene where a business jet crashed Thursday morning.
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.
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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.
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