Golfers at the Lakewood Golf Club in North Carolina recalled a chaotic scene as a plane belonging to former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashed on Thursday, December 18.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” Joshua Green, a golfer on the course at the time, told the Associated Press on Thursday. “It was scary.”
The AP reports witnesses dropped to the ground as the plane was overhead and the ninth hole was “covered in debris.”
The crash occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m. while the plane was attempting to land, Statesville Regional Airport officials told the Charlotte Observer. Flight Aware data indicates the plane took off shortly after 10 a.m. and turned around to return to the airport.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office confirmed there were fatalities. The AP reported six people died in the crash, but did not reveal their identities.
Hours later, family friend Garrett Mitchell shared via Facebook that Biffle, his wife, Cristina, and kids Emma and Ryder were all on board the plane.
“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,” he wrote. “We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.”
Greg shares Emma, 14, with ex-wife Nicole Lunders. He and Cristina welcomed Ryder in September 2020.
Mitchell is also known by his social media alter ego, Cleetus McFarland, and is a longtime friend of Greg’s.
North Carolina congressman Richard Hudson seemed to confirm Mitchell’s statement, writing via X that he is “devastated” by Greg, Cristina and their kids’ loss.
“They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others,” he wrote. “Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans. But he was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track.”
He continued, “The Biffles flew hundreds of rescue missions in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were.”
Accuweather reported “adverse” conditions at the time of the crash, according to a news release.
“Heavy drizzle and a cloud ceiling near 1,200 feet were reported at 10:15 a.m. The cloud ceiling had reportedly lowered to around 400 feet, with heavy rain reducing visibility to less than 2 miles at 10:30 a.m.,” Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather Vice President of Forecasting Operations explained.
The Lakewood Golf Club is located adjacent to Statesville Regional Airport, with the airport’s lone runway mere yards away from the course. The airport has long been a hub for NASCAR drivers, with Biffle, 55, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman all having owned hangars on the property.
Earnhardt, 51, even took off from that same airport when he, his wife, Amy, and daughter, Isla, were involved in a 2020 plane crash in Tennessee. They all escaped with minor injuries.
