Seven people, including NASCAR star Greg Biffle and his family, have reportedly died in a plane crash in Statesville, USA, as emergency services rush to the scene. Mr Biffle, his wife, Cristina Grossu, daughter Emma (14), and their five-year-old son, Ryder, were on the plane that crashed while making a landing at the airport.  

Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, as well as longtime NASCAR community member Craig Wadsworth were identified as the other passengers according to a joint statement issued by the families. “Devastated by the loss”, the families in their joint statement have asked for “privacy” as they deal with the tragic incident. 

The aircraft owned by Mr Biffle left Statesville Regional Airport, which is about 45 miles north of Charlotte, at around 10 am, CNN reported. Images captured the fire tearing through the aircraft, with dense black smoke filling the sky. Authorities are carrying out an investigation to identify the cause of the fatal accident. 

Statesville Regional Airport said in a statement: “We can confirm there has been an aircraft incident at the Statesville Regional Airport. At approximately 10:15am, an aircraft crashed while landing. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is en route and will investigate the incident.”

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ) spokesperson told The Express: “Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina around 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 18. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates.”

FOLLOW FOR MORE UPDATES: