00:00We are learning more this morning about a deadly plane crash in North Carolina that's shaken the racing community and beyond.
00:09Seven people were killed Thursday when a small business jet went down while trying to land at Statesville Regional Airport.
00:16Among them, former NASCAR star Greg Biffle, his wife Christina, their two children, and three others.
00:22Authorities say the Cessna C-55 that you see here had just taken off from the airport, apparently for a birthday gathering in Florida.
00:30When it turned back for what's being described as a re-approach, the plane crashed around 10, 20 a.m., erupting into flames on the runway.
00:38Everyone on board was killed. Investigators say it's too early to know what went wrong.
00:44All indications right now that it did depart this facility and in a very short time frame was on a re-approach and appeared to be coming back in for a landing at the time.
00:55But why that occurred, what was happening at the time, we don't have that, and that's something the NTSB will determine.
01:02The plane was registered to a company affiliated with Biffle.
01:05The FAA and NTSB are now leading the investigation.
01:09Weather at the time included low clouds and light drizzle, according to AccuWeather.
01:13Family members say Christina Biffle sent a text message to her mother just before the crash, saying they were in trouble.
01:20Her mother shared that detail with People Magazine as investigators continue working to understand what went wrong.
01:27Biffle was a longtime NASCAR competitor and a Hall of Fame nominee, remembered not just for his racing career, but for his humanitarian work.
01:35Just last year, he used his own aircraft to fly rescue missions and deliver supplies after Hurricane Helene.
01:41Tributes have poured in from across the racing world, remembering Biffle as a fierce competitor, a devoted father, and someone who consistently showed up for others.
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