NC plane crash: Passenger texted family member ahead of crash that killed Greg Biffle and family, NTSB says

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) – Questions remain as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the deadly plane crash in North Carolina.

NTSB contract press conference Saturday morning to provide updates on this crash that claimed the lives of all seven people on board Thursday morning, including former Nascar driver Greg Biffle and his family.

The Cessna C550 plane left Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, but crashed around 10:20 a.m. while trying to return and land. According to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane burst into flames on impact, about a third of a mile from the runway.

NTSB board member Michael Graham confirmed on Saturday that someone on the plane sent a text message to a family member on the ground that read “emergency landing.” He has no knowledge of any further communications from passengers or crew to anyone on the ground.

Investigators They are working to verify the identity of the plane’s pilot.

“At this point, we have a lot of really good information, and we’re fairly confident about at least the left seat occupant, but we need to verify that,” Graham said.

Investigators found a cockpit voice recorder, which could provide important clues about what happened.

The plane’s speed and altitude fluctuated widely during the short flight, and its trajectory was consistent with the flight crew running into trouble and needing to return quickly, said Jeff Guzzetti, a former plane crash investigator for the NTSB and FAA.

At one point, the plane rose rapidly from 1,800 feet to 4,000 feet before descending again. Just before the accident, it was only a few hundred feet off the ground.

“One thing is certain: It was low. It was too low to make a safe landing on that runway,” Guzzetti said.

A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while a final report, including the cause of the accident and contributing factors, is expected within 12 to 24 months.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.