CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) – The personal assistant and longtime friend of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging Biffle hired an unqualified flight crew to save costs.
Greg Biffle’s estate is facing four major wrongful death lawsuits, totaling $40 million in claims.
Biffle and his longtime friend Craig Wadsworth were two of seven people killed in the tragic plane crash in Statesville in late December 2025.
Wadsworth’s estate filed the lawsuit last Friday in Iredell County against the estates of Greg Biffle, pilot Dennis Dutton, Dutton’s 20-year-old son Jack Dutton, and GB Aviation Leasing, a company owned by Biffle.
The suit claims Biffle and pilot Dennis Dutton knew a qualified second co-pilot was required to fly the plane, but allowed the pilot’s 20-year-old son, Jack Dutton, to fly without proper qualifications.
The lawsuit continued, stating Biffle was motivated “at least in part, by the desire to avoid the expense” of a professional co-pilot, citing a conversation in which Dennis Dutton told Biffle he had found someone to act as co-pilot and it would be “cheap.”
The estate alleges Biffle was willfully negligent, choosing personal convenience, cost savings and an opportunity to give “an inexperienced airman” cockpit experience over stopping the flight or hiring someone more experienced — leading to Wadsworth’s death.
The suit also names GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a private aviation company owned by Biffle, which operated the aircraft and leased the hangar space.
The company allegedly held no air carrier certificate — an FAA authorization required to operate as a commercial charter airline.
Additionally, Wadsworth’s estate claims Biffle was negligent both as Dutton’s boss and as owner and manager of the company that authorized the crew.
Dennis Dutton and Jack Dutton were also named for negligence as pilot in command and as acting crewman.
Wadsworth’s family is seeking at least $25,000, plus court costs and interest, from the Dutton estates, Biffle estate and GB Aviation.
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