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Seven individuals lost their lives on Thursday when a Cessna 550 business jet crashed in Statesville, North Carolina. Among the deceased is former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, as confirmed by NASCAR. The incident took place at the Statesville Regional Airport. The North Carolina Highway Patrol believes that Biffle and some of his close family members were among the victims; however, a formal identification has not been completed due to a serious fire that occurred after the crash. The aircraft was registered to a company associated with Biffle. Officials plan to release the names of all seven people on board once the medical examiner's office has confirmed their identities. The plane was en route to Florida but attempted to return to the airport shortly after takeoff around 10:15 a.m. (1515 GMT) due to severe weather, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service. Local media and social media shared images showing a significant fire on the runway amidst the wreckage of the plane. The National Transportation Safety Board is dispatching a team to the crash site and will update the media on the investigation on Friday. Biffle, 55, had a successful career with 19 Cup Series wins over 20 years, as noted by Field Level Media. His last race was the 2022 Geico 500 at Talladega. In 2023, he was honored as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis was one of the lawmakers who paid tribute to Biffle, stating, “Greg was a titan in the NASCAR community both on and off the racetrack. After Helene devastated Western North Carolina, Greg stepped up without hesitation by using his own personal helicopter to rescue victims and provide crucial aid to North Carolinians in need.”