A legal battle over responsibility for the plane crash that claimed Greg Biffle and six others is taking another turn. On December 18, 2025, the NASCAR legend, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth, pilot Dennis Dutton, and his son Jack were killed in a crash in Statesville, North Carolina. The estates of Dennis and Jack Dutton later filed wrongful-death claims against Biffle’s estate. Now, as expected, they are pushing back against the lawsuit and challenging the allegations surrounding the fatal accident.
Biffle’s estate has moved to dismiss the wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the estates of pilot Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack Dutton, while arguing that the Duttons were negligent in the operation of the aircraft, as reported by Bob Pockrass on X.
The response comes after the Dutton family accused Biffle and his aviation company of being responsible for the crash, putting competing accounts of the accident before the court. Margaret Stephanie Dutton, Dennis Dutton’s widow and Jack’s mother, filed the lawsuit in the final week of July in Iredell County Superior Court, naming GB Aviation Leasing LLC and the administrator of Biffle’s estate as defendants. The LLC owned and operated the Cessna Citation 550 involved in the crash.
In April, the Dutton family brought a $15 million lawsuit against Biffle’s estate, alleging that the NASCAR legend was responsible for aspects of the aircraft’s maintenance, operation, and safety. The claim placed the focus on the company and estate connected to the aircraft.
A month later, another lawsuit widened the dispute. Nicole Biffle, Greg Biffle’s ex-wife, filed a claim against both estates concerning the death of their 14-year-old daughter, Emma. She stated that “the negligent conduct that ultimately led to the crash of N257BW began well before the jet aircraft began to taxi.”
That action meant the litigation was no longer simply a matter of one estate seeking damages from another. Multiple families connected to the crash were now pursuing claims, with responsibility being contested from different directions.
The latest move by Biffle’s estate changes the dynamic once again. Rather than accepting the allegations made by the Dutton estates, Biffle’s side is arguing that the pilots’ own actions should be considered in determining what happened. The estate is seeking dismissal of the Dutton lawsuit while alleging negligence in the way Dennis and Jack Dutton operated the aircraft.
The allegations, on Nicole’s as well as Margaret’s side, remain part of the legal dispute and should not be treated as an established finding about the cause of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary investigation has offered details about the flight. However, it has still not established probable cause for the accident.
The preliminary report, however, provides some important context related to the fatal plane crash. Dennis Dutton, a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve pilot and former Delta Air Lines captain, was operating the aircraft. His son, Jack, an Auburn University aviation student, was occupying the right cockpit seat, and Greg Biffle was seated behind them.
Investigators documented discussions involving mechanical and electrical issues before and during the flight. The report also indicated that Jack participated in some of the aircraft’s control duties during the flight.
The pilots’ qualifications could also become important as the case develops. According to the preliminary findings, Dennis Dutton’s type rating required a qualified second-in-command to operate the aircraft. The report stated that neither Jack Dutton nor Greg Biffle was qualified to serve in that role.
That information does not by itself establish why the aircraft crashed, nor does it resolve the competing claims filed by both families now before the court. Instead, it forms part of the factual record surrounding an accident that has generated multiple legal actions.
For now, the Biffle estate and the Dutton estates are presenting very different arguments about responsibility. The court will have to consider those competing claims while investigators continue working toward a final determination of what caused the fatal crash.