NTSB: Greg Biffle Crash Followed Instrument Failure, Cockpit Confusion

Greg Biffle’s Cessna Citation 550 encountered multiple instrument failures and communication issues before crashing near the runway at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina in December, according to a new NTSB preliminary report released Friday.

The December 18 accident killed Biffle, his wife, two children, and three other occupants. The aircraft, registered to a company linked to the retired NASCAR driver, was destroyed when it struck approach lighting structures and terrain short of the runway. A post-crash fire consumed most of the airframe.

Trouble After Takeoff

Biffle’s aircraft departed Statesville shortly after 10 a.m. local time on a personal flight to Sarasota, Florida. The pilot, a retired airline captain with multiple type ratings, took off under visual flight rules with the intention of activating an IFR clearance once airborne, the report said.

SVH’s AWOS recorded calm variable winds with ten mile visibility, 3,900 ft broken and 4,800 ft overcast ceilings, and a temperature of 7° C.

On board were seven people, including two additional individuals with pilot certificates, one of whom was seated in the right seat. That individual, an instrument-rated single-engine private pilot, was not qualified to serve as second-in-command. Even so, the left-seat pilot controlled the fully-fueled jet while the right-seat passenger handled radio calls and checklists.

Cockpit voice recordings, along with reports from nearby ground personnel, confirmed that the left engine did not start-up on the first attempt. Both engines were nonetheless running before the aircraft began taxiing. The pilot and passengers discussed a malfunctioning thrust reverser indicator, though the reversers themselves appeared functional.

After departure from Runway 10, the airplane climbed in a left turn. At approximately 2,200 feet, it began to descend. The right-seat passenger attempted to contact air traffic control to activate the flight’s IFR clearance, but those transmissions went unanswered due to the controller’s workload at the time. Around the same time, one of the pilot-passengers noted a difference in between the left and right ITT temperature indications, although no further discussion regarding engine instruments came up for the remainder of the recording.

At 4,500 feet, the pilot reported an altitude indicator issue, along with the possibility of other left-side instrument problems. The aircraft’s Garmin GTN-750 stopped recording airspeed at about that time, along with heading data about a minute later. Autopilot also disengaged around the same time, although it is not clear whether this was intentional or not. The right seat passenger, who did not verbally report instrumentation issues on the right side of the flight deck, took the controls for a moment.

Return Ends in Fatal Impact

The aircraft descended to around 1,800 feet by 10:13 a.m. Audio recordings suggest occupants could see the ground, and the pilot took control of the aircraft back at about this time and turned right to enter the airport traffic pattern. The pilot called out for flap and gear extension, but the landing gear indicator lights were not illuminated.

A few moments later, the right-seat passenger transmitted on the airport CTAF, stating, “We’re having some issues here.”

Although there is no alternator on the aircraft, one of the passengers asked the pilot about power to the “alternator,” and about four seconds afterwards, audio recording quality improved and the pilot responded that that was the “problem.” He did not elaborate further on what was meant by that, although there were no further references to instrumentation troubles for the remainder of the flight. Garmin GTN-750 airspeed data resumed seconds afterward.

GPS data indicated the aircraft rolled out on runway heading at approximately 1,240 feet and 114 knots. Airspeed declined steadly over the next 30 seconds during the final descent towards the runway threashold.

The first point of impact was a 29-foot-tall approach light structure located about 1,380 feet short of the runway. The airplane continued through additional light towers and trees before skidding across the runway overrun area and coming to rest roughly 400 feet from the threshold. A fire destroyed most of the fuselage.

Investigators said they found no evidence of structural failure that would have occurred prior to impact and said both engines remained attached. Fan blade damage was consistent with rotation at the moment of impact, and both thrust reversers were stowed.

Unqualified SIC

The pilot held a CE-500 type rating with a second-in-command limitation.

The right-seat occupant, a private pilot with a single engine land and an instrument rating, was not qualified to serve in the role of second-in-command.

The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder and was not required to carry one. Investigators recovered a cockpit voice recorder and extracted roughly 31 minutes of audio, though poor audio quality hampered parts of the review. Limited flight data was recovered from the GTN-750 unit.

Biffle, 56, retired from full-time NASCAR competition in 2016. He was traveling that day with his family for a personal holiday trip.

The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing. A final report will determine probable cause and contributing factors.