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Sarasota, FL - A private business jet en route to Sarasota crashed shortly after takeoff at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning, killing all seven people on board.
According to state and federal officials, the aircraft, a Cessna 550 business jet registered to GB Aviation Leasing LLC, allegedly attempted to return to the airport minutes after departure before going down near the runway.
Authorities said the plane took off around 10:06 a.m. local time and crashed approximately nine minutes later.
The impact caused a fire, and emergency crews responding to the scene found no survivors.
Law enforcement officials stated that retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was allegedly among those aboard the aircraft, along with his wife, their two children, and three additional passengers identified as close friends and family associates.
Final identification of the victims is pending confirmation from the medical examiner’s office.
Preliminary flight data shows the jet reached only a modest altitude before descending and circling back toward the airport.
The plane was scheduled to travel to Sarasota before continuing on to additional destinations later in the day.
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the crash.
Weather conditions at the time reportedly included low clouds and light precipitation, though officials have not confirmed whether weather played a role.
The aircraft was manufactured in the early 1980s and was reported to be properly registered and certified for flight.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are leading the investigation and have secured the crash site.
Portions of Statesville Regional Airport remain closed as crews remove debris and investigators examine wreckage.
Officials said it could take several weeks or months before a preliminary report is released detailing the circumstances that led to the fatal accident.