Golfers Who Witnessed Greg Biffle’s Plane Crash Recount Horrific Scenes

Golfers at Lakewood Golf Club in North Carolina remember the chaotic scene as the former NASCAR driver’s plane Greg Biffle crashed on Thursday, December 18.

“We were like, ‘Wow! That’s too low,'” Joshua Greengolfer at the time, he told The Associated Press on Thursday. “It was scary.”

The AP reports that witnesses fell to the ground as the plane was overhead and the ninth hole was “covered in debris.”

The crash happened around 10:15 a.m. when the plane was trying to land, Statesville Regional Airport officials said. Charlotte Observer. Flight Aware data shows that the flight took off after 10am and turned back to the airport.

The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that there are fatalities. The AP reported that six people died in the accident, but did not reveal who they were.

Hours later, a family friend Garrett Mitchell shared on Facebook that Biffle, his wife, Christinaand children Emma and Ryder were all on board.

“Unfortunately, I can confirm that Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma and son Ryder were on that flight…because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us,” he wrote. “We are devastated. I am so sorry to share this.”

Greg shares Emma, ​​14, with ex-wife Nicole Lunders. He and Cristina welcomed Ryder in September 2020.

Mitchell is also known for his social media influencer, Cleetus McFarland, and is a longtime friend of Greg’s.

President of North Carolina Richard Hudson seems to confirm Mitchell’s statement, writing through X that he is “devastated” by the loss of Greg, Cristina and their children.

“They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others,” he wrote. “Greg was a great NASCAR champion who delighted millions of fans. But he was also a wonderful person, and he will be remembered for his service to other people and his fearlessness on the track.”

He continued, “The Biffles flew hundreds of rescue missions in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. The last time I spoke to Cristina, a few weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with the relief efforts in Jamaica. Who were the Biffles.”

Accuweather reported “poor” conditions at the time of the crash, according to a news release.

“Heavy drizzle and cloud ceiling near 1,200 feet reported at 10:15 a.m. Cloud ceiling was reported to have dropped to about 400 feet, heavy rain reduced visibility to less than 2 miles at 10:30 a.m.,” Dan DePodwinAccuWeather Vice President of Forecasting Operations explained.

Lakewood Golf Club is located near the Statesville Regional Airport, with the runway just one yard from the course. The airport has long been a hub for NASCAR drivers, with Biffle, 55, Dale Earnhardt Jr. again Ryan Newman they all have hangars on site.

Earnhardt, 51, even left the airport where he, his wife, Amyand daughter, Isla, were involved in a 2020 plane crash in Tennessee. They all escaped with minor injuries.