NTSB Preliminary Report Cites Unqualified Second-In-Command In Greg Biffle Plane Crash

North Carolina, United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary investigative report on the December 18, 2025 crash of a Cessna Citation 550 near Statesville Regional Airport, North Carolina, providing new detail into the flight’s final minutes and the sequence of technical and cockpit challenges that preceded the accident.

The accident claimed the lives of seven people, including former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children, and three others.

According to the NTSB’s preliminary report, the Citation departed Statesville at approximately 10:06 a.m. Eastern on a personal flight to Sarasota, Florida, under visual flight rules. The aircraft, registered to a company linked to Biffle, lifted off fully fueled with seven people aboard.

Before takeoff, cockpit voice recordings captured the crew discussing a malfunctioning thrust reverser indicator light, although the thrust reversers themselves appeared operational.

Just after departure, the aircraft started a left climbing turn, but soon after the crew reported a series of in-flight instrument anomalies. The left-side altimeter was reported not functioning properly, and data from the Garmin navigation system showed that airspeed and heading information stopped recording. The autopilot also disengaged about the same time, though it was unclear whether that was intentional.

The NTSB confirmed that Greg Biffle was not at the controls of the aircraft when it crashed. The jet was being flown by Dennis Dutton, a retired airline pilot with multiple type ratings, seated in the left seat. His son, Jack Dutton, was in the right seat handling communications and checklists.

While both men held pilot certificates, the report noted that the right-seat occupant was not qualified to serve as second-in-command (SIC) on this type of aircraft, a requirement under Federal Aviation Administration rules for that Citation model under normal operations. Neither Biffle nor Jack Dutton had the appropriate SIC endorsement, though Dutton was the pilot flying at the time of the accident.

Data indicates that after reporting the instrument problems, the aircraft climbed to around 4,500 feet before the pilot briefly handed control to the right-seat occupant while troubleshooting continued. During this time, the crew attempted to activate an instrument flight rules clearance but experienced difficulty reaching air traffic control.

The aircraft began a descent back toward the airport. The pilot and crew reported visually acquiring the runway environment and began configuring the plane for landing. The pilot called for flaps and landing gear extension, but landing gear indicator lights did not illuminate, suggesting electrical or indication issues.

At one point on the final approach, the right-seat occupant broadcast on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency: “We’re having some issues here.”

Radar and limited flight data show the aircraft rolled out on runway heading at approximately 1,240 feet altitude and 114 knots, but both altitude and airspeed began to decay steadily as the jet continued toward the runway threshold.

The plane struck a 29-foot approach light structure about 1,380 feet short of the runway, then impacted additional light towers and trees before skidding into the runway overrun area. A fire destroyed much of the fuselage.

Investigators found no indication of structural failure or engine malfunction prior to impact. Both engines remained attached to the airframe, and fan blade damage was consistent with rotation at the moment of ground impact.

The aircraft was not required to have a flight data recorder. Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), extracting roughly 31 minutes of audio, although poor audio quality complicated parts of the review. Limited avionics data was recovered from the Garmin unit.

The NTSB’s preliminary report outlines factual information about the sequence of events but does not assign probable cause. That determination, along with any contributing factors and safety recommendations, will be part of a final report, typically issued 12 to 18 months after an accident.