Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children, and three others died in a plane crash on Thursday, Dec. 18. Before the plane went down, Cristina reportedly texted her mother, letting her know that something wasn't going according to plan.
"She texted me from the plane and she said, 'We're in trouble.' And that was it," Cristina's mother, Cathy, told People. "So we're devastated. We're brokenhearted."
Following the tragic events, both families released a statement.
"Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives... We ask for privacy, compassion, and understanding as we grieve and begin to process this unimaginable loss."
NASCAR Has Released a Statement Following the Death of Biffle
After news of Biffle's passing became public, NASCAR released a statement on social media.
"The NASCAR family is devastated at the loss of Greg Biffle, who was one of our 75 greatest drivers and became known for his relentless post-career humanitarian work," the statement read. "We extend our deepest condolences."
Biffle won 19 races during his NASCAR Cup Series career and 56 races overall.
Greg Biffle Was Also an Accomplished Pilot
The plane Biffle and his family were flying on was reportedly his own. He was one of two registered pilots on the flight, which had reportedly taken off only minutes prior to the crash and had turned around in an attempt to land. Witness said the plane exploded into a fireball upon impact.
There are some concerns that Biffle and the additional pilot encountered adverse weather effects. And while it could take months or even years to ascertain the full scope of information that led to the crash, the weather could potentially have played a significant role.
AccuWeather noted the airport faced "adverse" conditions around the time of takeoff.
"Weather conditions are often a critical factor that investigators carefully review after a plane crash. It may take months to a year or longer for investigators to determine if the weather conditions contributed to the crash," said Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather Vice President of Forecasting Operations.
The FAA is now investigating, with a team already at the crash site, and has begun examining the area. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
