NTSB Focuses on Pilot Verification Amidst Ongoing Investigation into Fatal Greg Biffle Aircraft Incident

Statesville, NC – [Date of Publication] – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its intensive investigation into the tragic aircraft incident that claimed the lives of former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, members of his family, and three other individuals on Thursday morning. A press conference held on Saturday provided a brief update on the preliminary stages of the inquiry, emphasizing the ongoing effort to definitively identify the pilot in command during the flight’s critical final moments.

As of Friday, the NTSB had formally commenced its investigation at the Statesville Regional Airport. However, officials acknowledged that detailed information remained scarce, with initial interviews and data acquisition having only just begun. Board Member Michael Graham and Investigator-In-Charge Dan Baker led Saturday’s update, reiterating the agency’s primary objective: to ascertain the sequence of events that led to the aircraft’s attempt to return to the airport.

"We still do not know the circumstances which led the aircraft… to attempt to return to the airport," Graham stated during the press conference. "But that is the focus of our investigation."

During the update, Graham confirmed a previously reported text message exchange between Cristina Grossu Biffle, Greg Biffle’s wife, and her mother, Cathy Grossu. Cathy Grossu had shared with media outlets on Friday that she had been communicating with her daughter on the morning of the incident. According to Grossu, her daughter’s messages indicated a dire situation: "Then she said something like ‘We’re in trouble, emergency landing.’ And I texted back, ‘What’s wrong with the plane?’ Then the next thing was (the SOS alert) that you get from your automatic Apple phones when you have an accident or something. And so I knew that something was wrong."

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Graham clarified on Saturday that he had not been aware of this specific text message prior to Friday’s update and had sought further details from those with firsthand knowledge. "This morning, I can confirm that the NTSB is aware of one brief text message from a passenger aboard the aircraft to a family member that read ’emergency landing’," Graham stated. "But we are not aware of any other communications from passengers on board the aircraft to those on the ground."

A significant point of ongoing inquiry for the NTSB is the identification of the pilot during the approximate 10-minute flight from take-off to the unsuccessful emergency return to the airport. Greg Biffle was a licensed pilot, as were Dennis and Jack Dutton, who were also on board. The passenger manifest also included Biffle’s 14-year-old daughter, Emma, his 5-year-old son, Ryder, and long-time NASCAR associate Craig Wadsworth.

"I do not have any additional information about who was in the left seat at the time," Graham admitted. "We do anticipate that all the information about all the pilot rated occupants will be included in our preliminary report." This preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while the NTSB’s comprehensive final analysis is projected to take between 12 to 18 months to complete.

Graham indicated that the NTSB possesses a degree of confidence regarding the identity of the pilot but emphasized the necessity of verification before public dissemination. "At this point, we have a lot of really good information," Graham commented. "We’re fairly confident with the left seat occupant but we need to verify that. We need to be accurate in what we do. And from a survival standpoint, which is part of what we investigate, we want to know where everyone was sitting and that is a little more difficult in a crash like this."

In the 12 hours preceding Saturday’s press conference, NTSB investigators conducted numerous witness interviews and continued to meticulously validate the evidence gathered at the scene. Early indications from multiple sources suggest that the aircraft was stable during its approach, configured for landing with its lights illuminated. However, video evidence indicates the aircraft was descending at a low altitude.

"Early indication from multiple sources indicate that the plane was stable on approach, configured for landing with the landing lights on," Graham reported. "But the aircraft was coming in low." This observation aligns with the extensive debris field observed by investigators, consistent with initial impact points on an airport runway light stanchion located approximately 1,800 feet from the runway threshold.

Despite these observations, Graham noted that there is currently insufficient technical evidence to definitively explain the reason for the low approach. "It did look like the aircraft was configured properly for landing but it was low in the videos," Graham said. "But we have no other indication over what went wrong at this time."

Since Friday morning, the NTSB’s investigative efforts have involved comprehensive documentation of the debris field, detailed examination of the aircraft wreckage, cataloging component locations, and analysis of flight controls. The flight voice recorder has been transported to NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., where specialists are working to recover its data. Additionally, various components collected from the debris, including data recorders and other relevant units, are being sent to NTSB laboratories for analysis to determine if recoverable data can be extracted.

The NTSB has also obtained the aircraft’s maintenance logs. This comprehensive collection of information will be utilized to establish the aircraft’s weight and balance, as well as to analyze the impact loads sustained during the crash. Both engines have undergone initial analysis. A drone was deployed on Friday to survey the scene, but challenging windy conditions delayed its full operational capacity until Saturday morning when calmer weather permitted its complete deployment. The agency anticipates that all gathered evidence will be crucial in determining the probable cause of this tragic incident.