NASCAR great Greg Biffle’s untimely demise on December 18 was horrifying to say the least. Reportedly, it attempted to return within ten minutes of takeoff due to some technical issues and crashed while landing, killing all seven people aboard. While the official investigation is ongoing, nothing has surfaced on the audio from the plane to clarify what happened in the cockpit during those final moments. However, a new private audio may give some more hints.

“Statestville traffic, Citation 257 BW. We’ve got an issue with some of our things, so please don’t take off from runway 10,” the pilot said. “We’re having a rough engine here. We’re going to try to circle back around and land. Right now, we’re working on getting everything done. We’re getting our gear down. 257 BW is on final for runway 28,” the pilot’s voice can be heard reporting problems with the aircraft.

It is important to note that it is not sure who’s voice it was. The plane carried three licensed pilots, with Craig Wadsworth, a member of the NASCAR community, supposed to be piloting the Cessna C550 Citation II N257BW. Moreover, the recording isn’t official and may not perfectly match the flight data.

So far, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been taking on the official investigation and have confirmed that there was a text message sent by a passenger on the plane. Later, Biffle’s wife Cristina’s mother came forward, revealing that she received a text from her daughter that read, “We’re in trouble.”

The Cessna C550 Citation II N257BW was scheduled to fly to Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport from Statesville. Biffle’s family and friends were flying to spend the day with the YouTuber and part-time NASCAR racer, Cleetus McFarland a.k.a. Garrett Mitchell, for an early birthday and holiday celebration. The business plane took off at 10.06 am but only traveled 29 miles before making a U-turn for the landing spot. It crashed at approximately 10:15 AM local time while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport (SVH).

While it is impossible to know the full story from unofficial recordings alone, the audio gives a haunting glimpse of the chaos and urgency in those final minutes. Experts caution that only the NTSB investigation, including the cockpit voice recorder and flight instruments, will reveal the true sequence of events.

As the investigation continues, the Biffle family has kept the NASCAR legend’s spirit alive with a heartwarming gesture.

Greg Biffle’s family honors his legacy with touching tribute

Tributes are now taking shape for NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle, with formal obituaries published for Biffle and his wife, Cristina, and their children, 5-year-old son Ryder, Biffle’s daughter from another marriage, Emma (14), as plans move forward for a celebration of life in their honor.

Cavin-Cook Funeral Home will be coordinating the arrangements, while Legacy released a separate notice summarizing Biffle’s journey in racing and beyond.

The family has requested that donations made in Greg and Cristina’s memory be directed to the Red Cross and Lake Norman Humane.

Services for their daughter Emma are being handled separately, with the family encouraging gifts in her name to local animal shelters or rescue organizations or to Davidson Day School in Davidson, North Carolina.

Biffle’s legacy extended well beyond NASCAR. Known for his patriotism and humanitarian work, like during Hurricane Helene, he was also a dedicated advocate for animal welfare. That passion led to the creation of the Greg Biffle Foundation in 2005, which has since helped rescue thousands of dogs and supported more than 500 animal shelters and humane organizations across the US.

Although Biffle and his family were killed in the plane crash last week, the NASCAR champion and the impact he made away from the racetrack continue to endure. Meanwhile, we await more information to come forward on what went wrong in a mtter of minutes.