A jet owned by former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashed at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning.
The accident killed multiple people and started a fire at the crash site.
The Cessna C550 jet took off from the airport around 10 a.m. but quickly ran into trouble.
The pilot tried to return and land, but the plane came up short. It hit trees, slid across a road, broke through a fence, and stopped near the runway. Emergency teams rushed to the scene, but the jet burst into flames.
Officials said six people were on board.
The Iredell County Sheriff reported deaths but did not say how many. Names of those involved have not been released yet, as families are still being told.
It is not known if Biffle was on the plane. Biffle, a retired racer, owns the jet through his company, GB Aviation Leasing, LLC.
Flight records show the jet was flying to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida.
Some people on social media think the plane was heading to Florida for YouTuber Cleetus McFarland’s 6th Annual Christmas Tree Drag Racing World Championship.
The event is set for Saturday at Bradenton Motorsports Park, near Sarasota. Biffle and McFarland know each other well.
They teamed up last year to fly supplies to hurricane victims using helicopters. But no one has confirmed if the crash flight was linked to the race. McFarland was already in Florida before the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are looking into what caused the crash. They will check the plane, weather, and other factors. The airport stayed open, but some roads nearby closed for a while.
