Two wrongful death lawsuits have been filed related to the plane crash that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and six others in December 2025, according to court documents obtained by ESPN.
Biffle, who was 55, died alongside his wife Cristina, 35, son Ryder, 5, and daughter Emma, 14, when their Cessna C550 jet crashed while attempting to land in Statesville, North Carolina on December 18. Pilot Dennis Dutton, 67, his son, Jack, 20, and Bifle family friend Craig Wadsworth, 62, were also killed.
Filed on behalf of the Dutton Estates, each suit seeks $15 million in damages, alleging that Greg, who owned the plane, was “responsible for maintenance, operation and safety.” They also claim that maintenance was inadequate, contributing to the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the tragedy, but Dennis is believed to have been at the controls when it crashed. Jack, who was not qualified to fly the plane, is believed to have been in the copilot’s seat. It could be more than a year until the board releases its final report.
“I would say the default from the NTSB is probably close to two years with a final report coming out,” former military pilot Dan Rose told Us Weekly exclusively in December. “The NTSB is pretty good about getting out what’s called a preliminary report in the first few weeks. But it’s very cursory, generally.”
He continued, “As somebody who looks at these all the time, you can read between the lines and see generally which way the investigation is going. Is it going mechanical? Is it going pilot error? Is it going weather? That kind of thing.”
The NTSB released its preliminary report on January 30, revealing that Dennis tried to return to the airport upon noticing an altimeter malfunction and that the “left side flight instruments may not have been working properly.”
“Both engines remained attached to the pylon structures and both thrust reversers were found in the stowed position,” the report stated. “There was no evidence of uncontained engine failure with either engine.”
The victims’ families released a statement the afternoon of the crash in which they remembered all who were lost and expressed that they were “heartbroken beyond words.”
“Greg and Cristina were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma (mother — Nicole Lunders),” the statement read. “Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child.”
The statement continued, “Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them. Craig Wadsworth was beloved by many in the NASCAR community and will be missed by those who knew him.”
