Nearly five months after a plane crash killed seven people including a NASCAR legend, two lawsuits have been filed in connection to the tragedy in North Carolina.
Former race car driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina Biffle, their 5-year-old son Ryder and Greg Biffle’s daughter Emma, 14, died after the Cessna C550 jet crashed in Statesville on Dec. 18. Dennis Rollin Dutton, his son Jack Dutton and his employee and friend Craig Wadsworth also died in the late morning crash near the Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte.
Filed in Iredell County Superior Court on behalf of the Dutton estate, the lawsuits each seek $15 million in damages, according to court documents obtained by ESPN and local station WBTV.
According to the suits, the outlets reported Biffle owned the Cessna 550 plane that crashed, and was “responsible for maintenance, operation and safety.”
USA TODAY has requested a copy of the suit, and reached out to the attorney representing the Dutton family.
What caused the plane crash that killed Greg Biffle?
The official cause of the crash remained under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on May 1.
The plane was bound for Florida but attempted to return to the regional airport soon after takeoff in severe weather, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight paths and previous USA TODAY reporting.
The aircraft was registered to a company tied to Biffle, and according to an autopsy obtained by USA TODAY, Dutton, an experienced pilot, is presumed to have piloted the plane at the time of the crash.
According to the preliminary NTSB report Jack Dutton was sitting in the co-pilot seat, and was assisting when the plane crashed, but wasn’t qualified to fly the plane.
Where did the plane crash happen?
The crash took place around 10:15 a.m. ET while the pilot attempted to land at the airport, about 40 miles north of Charlotte, according to local officials and the Federal Aviation Administration.
NTSB senior accident investigator Dan Baker said the jet took off from runway 2A and was in the air 10 minutes before it crashed and struck a set of trees and a runway fence before coming to rest.
Anyone who saw the plane crash, or with video of the crash, is asked to contact NTSB via email at witness@ntsb.gov.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund