Greg Biffle
NASCAR champion Greg Biffle and his wife Cristina died with their two children when their plane crashed whilst attempting an emergency landing in North Carolina Greg Biffle/Instagram

Three words. That's all Cathy Grossu got from her daughter before the plane went down. 'We're in trouble.' Then nothing. Cristina Biffle's final text message has become the haunting focal point of Thursday's plane crash that killed seven people, including NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his wife and their two children. The Cessna C550 went down at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina just 26 minutes after takeoff, killing everyone on board.

The family were heading to Florida for a birthday trip—Greg would've turned 56 next Tuesday. Instead, it ended in flames on a North Carolina runway. 'She texted me from the plane and she said, "We're in trouble." And that was it', Grossu shared to a publication. 'So we're devastated. We're brokenhearted.'

'That's Going to Haunt Me'

What's tormenting Grossu now isn't just that final text. It's what she can't recall. She knows they hugged goodbye when the Biffles left her house.

'I don't remember what the last words that I said to my daughter or to Greg or to my precious Ryder', she told People. 'I don't remember. I know we hugged, but I don't remember those last words—and that's going to haunt me.'

The night before the fatal flight, Cristina had asked her mum to pick up 17 Santa letters from Staples. She wanted to post them to families in need before getting on the plane. Grossu said her daughter stayed up late finishing those letters, determined to send them off before the trip.

The crash killed Greg Biffle, 55; his wife Cristina, 35; their five-year-old son Ryder; and Greg's 14-year-old daughter Emma. Three others also died: Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth. Flight records show the plane belonged to a company owned by Biffle, though it is not yet known who was flying it. Both Biffle and Dutton were pilots.

Something Went Wrong Fast

FlightAware data shows the plane took off from Statesville Regional Airport just after 10 a.m., apparently heading to Florida. But something went wrong almost immediately. The aircraft turned back towards the airport, trying to land. At 10:15 a.m., it crashed. People playing golf at the nearby Lakewood Golf Club said the plane was flying 'way too low' before there was a massive explosion.

'To think that they would be killed on a birthday trip, that was just such a fun time for the family', Grossu said. 'And to see the horrific way that it ended, it's just, it is so hard to bear. I cannot believe they're gone.'

A Champion on and off the Track

Greg Biffle's NASCAR career spanned 15 years in the Cup Series, with 19 wins and championships in both the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. But lately, he'd become better known for something else entirely.

After Hurricane Helene smashed through western North Carolina, Biffle used his own helicopter to fly hundreds of rescue missions. He delivered supplies, evacuated stranded residents, and worked round the clock helping communities recover. That work earned him the NMPA Myers Brothers Award in 2024. North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson said Cristina had rung him just weeks before the crash, asking how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. 'That's who the Biffles were', he said.

NASCAR released a statement calling Greg 'more than a champion driver' and noting that 'his tireless work saved lives' after Hurricane Helene. Jack Roush, who'd worked with Biffle throughout most of his racing career, said he'd 'lost a dear friend and partner'.

Investigation Underway

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. NTSB investigators arrived at the scene on Thursday evening to start figuring out what went wrong. The airport's been closed indefinitely whilst they work through the wreckage.

The families of all seven victims released a joint statement. 'We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones. This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words', it said. 'Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives.'

For Cathy Grossu, that void is permanent. Her daughter, son-in-law and grandson are gone. The last thing Cristina said to her—'We're in trouble'—will stay with her forever. A brief warning that became the final goodbye.

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