Seven people were killed on Thursday morning when a small passenger jet crashed in North Carolina, the local sheriff said.
The plane, a Cessna C550, was registered to the NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, Darren Campbell, the Iredell County sheriff, said in an interview. He said he was not immediately able to confirm the identities of the seven victims. Five were adults and two were children, he said. The Cessna C550 can carry up to eight passengers as well as two pilots.
The plane crashed while landing at around 10:20 a.m. at Statesville Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an emailed statement. The F.A.A. and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating. Statesville is about 40 miles north of Charlotte.
Mr. Biffle drove in NASCAR’s top stock car series from 2002 to 2016 and then for a final year in 2022. He won races 19 times, and his highest finish in the championship was fifth in 2005.
He has also driven in several other truck and car racing series. In 2023, he was named one of NASCAR’s 75 best all-time drivers.
Mr. Biffle has a private pilot’s license, according to F.A.A. records. Last year, he used his personal helicopter to deliver supplies to areas hard hit by Hurricane Helene, PBS reported.
Several NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies use the facilities at Statesville Regional Airport, which handles noncommercial traffic, including private, recreational and emergency flights.
John Ferguson, the airport manager, said at a news conference that the airport was closed and that the cause of the crash was not known.
Georgia Gee contributed reporting.
Amanda Holpuch covers breaking news and other topics.
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