A former NASCAR driver, his wife, and two children were among those who died when a private jet crashed moments after takeoff in North Carolina.A private plane crashed and burst into flames near Statesville, North Carolina, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, killing all seven people on board.The plane had just taken off and was trying to return to the runway when it slammed into a field and caught fire. Now, witnesses and aviation experts are speaking out about what may have gone wrong, as tributes pour in for the family at the center of the tragedy.

Among the seven victims were four members of one family: retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, and their two children, Emma, 14, and Ryder, 5. The other victims were Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol released the names on Friday, December 19.The jet, a Cessna C550, took off from Statesville Regional Airport, located about 45 miles north of Charlotte. Weather conditions at the time included drizzle and low cloud cover. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff while attempting to return to the runway.The aircraft was registered to a company operated by Biffle, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. He was also rated to fly helicopters, as well as single- and multi-engine planes. It was not immediately clear if he was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.