Greg Biffle and plane crash (Photos via Imagn Images and Google)

Investigators say Greg Biffle wasn't flying plane before crash, copilot wasn't qualified

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Darrelle Lincoln | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 12:26 PM ET

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on Greg Biffle’s plane crash from last year. It is now painting an even broader picture of what happened.

On Dec. 18, Biffle and his family were killed when their plane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport. Horrifying footage showed the plane engulfed in fire as it slid on the tarmac. According to flight tracking data, the plane took off at approximately 10:06 a.m. ET. Minutes later, it turned back toward the airport to attempt an emergency landing.

As to who was flying the plane, it was unclear at the time. Three passengers on board were licensed pilots. That included Greg Biffle.

Seven people died in the crash: Biffle; his wife, Cristina Grossu; his children, 14-year-old Emma and 5-year-old Ryder; pilots Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack; and Biffle employee Craig Wadsworth. The NTSB report stated that Dennis Dutton was the primary pilot, with Jack as his copilot.

Jack had 175 hours of flying experience and was not certified to be a copilot of the plane. According to the report, Dennis Dutton was required to have a certified copilot. Biffle, also a certified pilot, was in the rear passenger seat. He tried to help them diagnose potential issues with the plane.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)

Once the plane took off, he noticed that the left engine was producing more power than the right. He helped the pilot with directions and finding the runway, given the cloud ceiling at 1,200 feet. The report further added that the altitude indicator was not working properly. Not only that, but the additional left-side flight instruments may not have been working properly.

There was no evidence of uncontained engine failure with either engine.

Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said he believes the lack of an experienced copilot may have been a key factor in the crash, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN).

“This airplane requires two trained pilots, and if things go wrong and you don’t have a trained pilot, then bad things can happen,” Guzzetti said. “The airplane might have been able to be landed safely if there were two qualified pilots up front.”

The overall nature of the problems with the plane isn’t clear at this stage in the investigation. That is partly because the cockpit voice recorder cut out at times, and NTSB experts have only just begun to dig into what caused the crash.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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