STATESVILLE, NC (CNN) — Seven people have died after a small private jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Statesville, North Carolina. The airplane turned back toward the airport after takeoff and crashed shortly thereafter.
The crash happened shortly after 10:15 a.m., Iredell County Chief Deputy Bill Hamby told CNN.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said news of the crash was “heartbreaking. “Our hearts go out to those families,” Stein said adding there was no more tragic way to start the holiday season. Retired NASCAR race driver Greg Biffle and members of his family were among the victims.
“A Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina around 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 18. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates,” the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN.
A witness who works at the airport told CNN she saw the plane on fire after the crash.
“My desk faces where it happened. I was just sitting here, and then I heard a loud boom, and our hangar shook a little. I got up to look and that’s when I saw the flames and fire everywhere,” said Victoria, who works for an aviation company and asked to be identified only by her first name due to privacy concerns.
The NTSB sent an investigative team to the scene of the crash.
Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, is an uncontrolled airport with no control tower. Pilots are required to self-report their position on and near the airport using a common radio frequency.
Preliminary flight tracking data shows a Cessna Citation 550 left Statesville Regional Airport around 10 a.m. from Runway 10, traveled about five miles, then made a near-immediate left turn back toward the airport. The plane did not climb higher than 2,000 feet, according to FlightAware.
Low clouds, light rain, and visibility of less than three miles were reported about 80 minutes after the crash, according to an automated weather station at the airport. “The Statesville Regional Airport provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams,” according to the city website.
CNN’s Caroll Alvarado contributed to this report.
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