What we know about the plane crash that killed NASCAR’s Greg Biffle and his family

A private jet crashed at a regional North Carolina airport and erupted into flames Thursday, killing seven people, including retired NASCAR star Greg Biffle and three members of his family, officials said.

Here are some things to know about the crash.

What happened?

The plane took off Thursday morning from Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte. Shortly after takeoff, the jet turned back toward the airport and crashed while attempting to land, according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.

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

Investigators have said it is too early to determine what caused the crash. There was some drizzle and clouds at the time, according to AccuWeather.

Statesville Regional Airport offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams, according to its website.

Who was on board?

According to a joint statement released by the victims’ families, there were seven people aboard the plane, including Greg Biffle; his wife, Cristina Grossu Biffle; their son, Ryder; and Greg Biffle’s daughter, Emma.

The statement identified the other victims as Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and Dutton’s son, Jack, all “beloved by many in the NASCAR community.”

“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the statement said.

Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won championships in both the lower-tier national Truck and Xfinity Series — the first driver to do so — and spent almost his entire career driving for Roush Fenway Racing, headquartered about 40 miles south of the crash site.

Wadsworth, a longtime behind-the-scenes employee with several NASCAR teams, was friends with Biffle and had helped him with odd jobs, including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene a year ago, according to Wadsworth’s roommate, Benito Howell.

Biffle joins a somber roll of athletes who died in plane or helicopter crashes.

What type of plane was it?

The plane was a Cessna C550, a popular mid-sized business jet with an excellent reputation, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Greg Biffle.

The plane was scheduled to fly to Sarasota, Florida, and then to Treasure Cay airport in the Bahamas before returning.

Biffle’s plane was built in 1981 and would have likely cost between $1 million and $10 million, depending on how it was outfitted, Guzzetti said. The Cessna 550 Citation has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers.