Biffle Estate Seeks Dismissal of Wrongful Death Suit From Crash Pilots' Family

Lawyers for Greg Biffle's estate argue the pilots were negligent in operating the Cessna jet that crashed in North Carolina last December, killing all seven aboard.

The estate of former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle has asked a court to throw out a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of pilot Dennis Dutton, according to FOX motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass. The filing argues the Duttons were negligent in how they operated Biffle's Cessna Citation 550 business jet.

Pockrass described the motion as an expected response in the litigation. The Dutton estate's suit seeks $15 million and contends Biffle was responsible for the aircraft's maintenance, operation and safety.

The crash occurred on December 18, 2025, in Statesville, North Carolina, killing all seven people aboard: Biffle, his wife Cristina, their son Ryder, his daughter Emma, Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and his son Jack. The jet went down roughly 10 minutes after takeoff during an attempt to return to Statesville Regional Airport.

Nicole Biffle, Greg's ex-wife and Emma's mother, has also filed wrongful death claims against both estates on behalf of her late 14-year-old daughter. Her suit states that negligence began before the aircraft taxied and cites a text from Biffle's wife reading "we are in trouble."

Biffle was 55. He won 19 Cup Series races and championships in what were then the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series.