Multiple Fatalities in Private Jet Crash at NC Airport

Multiple fatalities were reported after a private jet crashed while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning, authorities confirmed.

The incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. local time at the city-owned airport in Iredell County, approximately 40 miles north of Charlotte. The aircraft, identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Cessna Citation C550 capable of carrying up to eight passengers, burst into flames upon impact on the tarmac, producing thick black smoke visible for miles. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where video footage captured scattered wreckage and intense fire near the runway.

Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell confirmed to local media that several people died in the crash, though the exact number of those on board and the precise casualty figure were not immediately released. The plane is registered to GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a company affiliated with retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, according to business records and FAA data. It remains unclear whether Biffle or any specific individuals were aboard the aircraft at the time.

Statesville Regional Airport issued a statement acknowledging...