Statesville Regional Airport reopened on Sunday, three days after Greg Biffle and six others were killed in a crash.
STATESVILLE, N.C. — Statesville Regional Airport is back open for service after a plane crash that killed NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his family and three other people last week.Â
The airport announced it was open and operational on Sunday, three days after the tragic crash. City officials and federal investigators decided to close the airport while crews made their way to the scene to investigate the crash site.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. NTSB board member Michael Graham confirmed on Saturday that someone on the plane sent a text message to a family member about an emergency landing moments before the crash. Officials say the plane crashed approximately 10 minutes after takeoff.Â
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The crash on Thursday morning claimed the lives of NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their son Ryder and Biffle’s daughter Emma. Also killed were Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and his son Jack Dutton.
Multiple witness statements and early evidence indicate the aircraft was stable on approach and configured properly for landing with its lights on, but was flying too low, Graham said.
The plane struck an approach light stanchion located approximately 1,800 feet from the runway threshold. That impact point is consistent with the debris field investigators surveyed.Â
The NTSB recovered the cockpit voice recorder, which has been sent to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., for analysis. Though the aircraft was not required to carry a cockpit voice recorder as a Part 91 general aviation flight, it was equipped with one.
Graham clarified that investigators are still gathering information about the pilots on board and do not yet know who was in the left seat at the time of the crash. More information about all pilot-rated occupants is expected to be included in the preliminary report.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while the final report determining the probable cause will take 12 to 18 months.