By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) – A Cessna C550 business jet linked to former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashed on Thursday as it was returning to the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and public records.
Local media quoted the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office as saying there were multiple fatalities in the crash but did not detail how many or say who was on board. Public records show the plane was owned by GB Aviation Leasing, which has the same address as Biffle.
The plane had been bound for Florida but soon after takeoff attempted to return to the North Carolina airport in inclement weather around 10:15 a.m, according to FlightAware, an airplane tracking site.
A picture posted by local media and social media showed a large fire on the runway amid the plane wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a go-team to the scene and will brief media on Friday on the investigation.
The airport was closed after the incident and the debris must be removed from the runway before it can reopen, city officials said at a press conference.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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