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A preliminary investigation from the National Transportation Safety Board has determined that former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle<\/strong><\/a> was not at the controls when his plane crashed<\/a> in December 2025, killing him and six others.<\/p>\n Retired pilot Dennis Dutton<\/strong> was flying the plane and his son, Jack Dutton<\/strong>, was his co-pilot, according to the NTSB\u2019s report, released on Friday, January 30.<\/p>\n Biffle, who was 55, his wife, Cristina<\/strong>, his 14-year-old daughter, Emma<\/strong>, and his 5-year-old son, Ryder<\/strong>, were killed along with the Duttons and NASCAR motorhome driver Craig Wadsworth<\/strong> on December 18, when a plane owned by Biffle crashed minutes after takeoff at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.<\/p>\n The report noted<\/a> that Dennis was licensed to fly the Cessna 550 aircraft, provided he also had a qualified co-pilot. Jack, however, was not qualified to be second-in-command. Neither was Biffle, who also had a pilot\u2019s license.<\/p>\n The NTSB also released more information about what happened to the plane and how the Duttons responded in the minutes before the crash as they tried to return to the airport. It determined that Dennis was flying the plane when it took off before temporarily handing the controls to his son, then taking them back as they tried to land the plane.<\/p>\n They had tried to return to the airport after discovering a malfunction with the altimeter and determining the \u201cleft side flight instruments may not have been working properly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth engines remained attached to the pylon structures and both thrust reversers were found in the stowed position,\u201d the report continued. \u201cThere was no evidence of uncontained engine failure with either engine.\u201d<\/p>\n As the plane attempted to land, it struck trees and light stanchions outside the airport before going through a fence that separates the airport from the main road. The report added there was \u201cheavy charring\u201d on the ground and blackened tree branches and grass from the ensuing fire.<\/p>\n That is consistent with what observers on the ground reported in 911 calls<\/a> obtained by TMZ<\/em><\/a> in January. One caller, who was golfing at the nearby Lakewood Golf Course told a dispatcher, \u201cWe just have a plane fly over our heads and crash into the tree line.\u201d<\/p>\n Another observed that the plane went \u201cstraight downward,\u201d resulting in a \u201chuge explosion.\u201d<\/p>\n The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. There was no flight data recorder onboard, but one was not required.<\/p>\n