A private jet crashed Thursday morning at a North Carolina regional airport and the wreckage burst into flames.
WSOC reported that a Cessna C550 business jet crashed as it was trying to land at Statesville Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
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Update 7:10 a.m. ET, Dec. 19: After initially saying that six people were killed in Thursday’s crash, officials said that seven people were killed, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, son Ryder and daughter Emma, WSOC reported.
“This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words,” a statement released by the family said, according to The Associated Press. “Greg and Cristina were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma. Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child.”
The statement identified the others killed in the crash as NASCAR veteran Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and Dutton’s son Jack.
Six killed
Update 2:26 p.m. ET, Dec. 18: The FAA and local officials have said that six people were killed on the flight, WSOC reported.
Six on board
Update 2:02 p.m. ET, Dec. 18: The FAA said six people were on board the plane and that there were multiple deaths, The Associated Press reported.
Crash at end of runway
Update 1:10 p.m. ET, Dec. 18: The crash happened at the end of a runway, the airport director said. But John Ferguson said during a brief news conference that they have “no information on any cause,” CNN reported.
WSOC noted that there was fog at the time of the crash, but officials have not said if that contributed to the crash. Weather conditions are being investigated.
According to Flight Aware data, the plane took off from Statesville Regional Airport at 10:06 a.m., flying west before turning around to return to the airport and crashing before 10:30 a.m. The plane did not get higher than 2,000 feet, CNN reported. A flight plan was filed that showed the plane going from Statesville to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to Treasure Cay, then from Treasure Cay to Fort Lauderdale before a planned return to Statesville.
The airport is uncontrolled and does not have a control tower. Pilots self-report their position at and near the airport using a common radio frequency, CNN said.
Fatalities reported
Update 12:24 p.m. ET, Dec. 18: The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said that people were killed, but did not say how many, WSOC reported.
Original report: A witness told WSOC that the plane was “way too low” before crashing.
There was no word on who was on board the flight and if anyone was killed. But WSOC said public records said it was owned by NASCAR driver Greg Biffle.
The airport provides corporate aviation facilities for several NASCAR teams and several Fortune 500 companies.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating.
Check back for more on this developing story.
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