Greg Biffle confirmed to be on the plane that crashed in North Carolina, friend Cleetus McFarland shares

On the morning of December 18, 2025, news spread that a private plane crashed and burst into flames a little while after it took off at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. Later reports linked the Cessna550 plane to retired NASCAR racer Greg Biffle.

YouTube personality Cleetus McGarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, shared devastating news on Facebook that Biffle and his family were aboard the plane and had perished. 

Mitchell, who is a close friend of the Biffles, stated in his social media update that the family was on their way to visit with him and that he was “devastated” by the tragic turn of events:

“Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane… because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.” 

So far, no information has been revealed as to the cause of the plane crash, although reports suggest that there were six fatalities in total.

Kennis Wallsce claimed in an X post that Craig Wadsworth was also aboard the plane. 

Statesville Regional Airport is now closed until further notice 

Airport officials told The Charlotte Observer that the aircraft crashed while landing at approximately 10:15 am.

They added that at the time, agents of the Federal Aviation Administration were on their way to investigate the incident.

Airport manager John Ferguson shared at a joint press conference for the Iredell County Sheriff’s office and the Federal Aviation Administration that he got the report of the crash at a quarter past 10 in the morning.

By the time he arrived at the scene, the plane was engulfed in flames.
 

“Like we said, at approximately 10:15 a.m., we got a report of a jet that crashed off the end of the runway on the east end. By time I came out, it was fully engulfed. We’ve had multiple agencies that have come. The FAA arrived at about 12 o’clock today.“

He added that the cause of the incident was still under investigation. Ferguson announced that the airport will be closed temporarily while it takes to clear the debris off the runway. 

AccuWeather reported adverse weather conditions in the airport’s vicinity around the time of the plane crash. Heavy drizzle and a cloud ceiling near 1.200 feet were said to have been present at the airport at 10:15 am.

It might take a long while before it can be determined whether the adverse weather conditions led to the plane crashing at the airport.

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