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Pilot of deadly North Carolina plane crash that killed ex NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle and his family have not been identified more than 24 hours later, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said Friday.
NTSB board member Michael Graham spoke to the media about the preliminary results of the investigation. Thursday's accident As a result, all seven people on board the flight bound for the Bahamas were killed.
Greg Biffle #69 kisses his daughter in front of Christina Grossu before getting into his car during the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience at Slinger Speedway on July 10, 2021 in Slinger, Wisconsin. (Logan Riley/SRX via Getty Images)
Three people aboard the Cessna C550 were licensed pilots, but as of Friday officials had not been able to verify who was piloting the flight, Graham said.
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“This is the beginning of a very long process, and we will not jump to conclusions while we are on the scene here in North Carolina,” Graham said of the investigation as a whole.
According to federal aviation data, the plane belonged to GB Aviation Leasing LLC. The company is owned by Biffle, who was qualified to fly helicopters as well as single and multi-engine aircraft.
Biffle, 55, was killed near his wife Christina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14. The three other people killed on board were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack and Craig Wadsworth.
Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on October 3, 2010. (Orlin Wagner, File/AP Photo)
RACING WORLD REMEMBERS FORMER NASCAR DRIVER GREG BIFFLE AFTER DEADLY AIR CRASH
The seven-person plane was en route to the Bahamas via Sarasota, Florida, when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte. NTSB investigator in charge Dan Baker said the plane took off at approximately 10:05 a.m. ET and began turning back to the airport five minutes after takeoff.
The plane crashed about 10 minutes after takeoff.
Officials did not give a reason and noted that weather conditions were relatively calm despite light rain. Graham said a preliminary report would be released in 30 days, but the full investigation could take 12 to 18 months before a final report is released.
Greg Biffle is introduced during driver introductions prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on July 5, 2015. (Terry Renna, File/AP Photo)
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The plane's black box has been recovered from the crash site and is on its way to Washington, D.C., where it will be analyzed, officials said.
“I can also confirm that our team was able to locate and recover the cockpit voice recorder. CVR, one of the aircraft's black boxes,” Graham said, noting that the plane did not have a flight data recorder, but did not require one.
Greg Biffle, 55, has won more than 50 races across NASCAR's three tracks, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR called Biffle “a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor and a friend to many.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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