Former NASCAR driver Greg Buffle and his family are believed to be dead when their Cessna Reference corporate jet crashed minutes after takeoff from a regional airport in North Carolina.
“Although the post-crash fire prevents us from releasing a definitive list of occupants at this time, it is believed that Mr. Gregory Buffle and members of his immediate family owned the aircraft,” the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement Thursday.
A final list of victims will be released after their identities are confirmed by the medical examiner’s office, the Highway Patrol said. The Federal Aviation Administration had earlier said in an initial statement that there were six victims, but later updated that count to seven.
“NASCAR has lost Greg Buffle, his wife Christina, daughter Emma, sons Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton in a fatal plane crash,” the racing organization said. “Beyond his racing career, he gave of himself for the betterment of our community. In particular, Greg spent countless hours helping the citizens of North Carolina during the disasters following Hurricane Helene. His tireless work saved lives.”
Flightradar24 data shows the plane took off from Statesville Regional Airport north of Charlotte at 10:07 a.m., climbed to 2,000 feet (610 m) and then returned to the airport where it attempted to land. The FAA said the jet crashed while trying to land around 10:20 a.m.
Pictures on social media showed the plane on fire on the runway.
Image: A Cessna 550 Reference II, similar to the one that crashed on Thursday. (Adobe Stock)
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