The Dutton estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle months after a plane crashed killing them and four other people, according to court documents.
Biffle, his wife, and two children, were killed in a fiery plane crash on Dec. 18, 2025. The group — along with three others identified as Dennis Dutton, Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth — were passengers on a Cessna 550 plane that crashed when it attempted to return to the runway at the Statesville Regional Airport.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Biffle estate on April 17, claimed that Biffle who was owner of the Cessna 550 plane and he was responsible for maintenance, operation and safety.
The lawsuit is seeking $15 million.
The estate of Emma Biffle, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of Dennis Dutton. The lawsuit is seeking $10 million.
The preliminary report, released on Friday, Jan. 30, detailed a combination of possibly faulty flight instruments and pilot behaviors that may have contributed to the deadly crash. The report only describes the experience of three passengers aboard the plane, though seven people were on board at the time of the crash.
The report did not specifically identify who was flying the plane, but the Associated Press identified that Biffle was not the pilot.
The NTSB report noted several malfunctions on the day of the crash, including a faulty altitude indicator and malfunctioning flight instruments. A gauge indicating engine power and an engine temperature indicator were also reported as not working properly.
The report also said that the plane first struck an object while at about 1,400 feet from the runway before the Cessna 550 caught fire.
The investigation said that a pilot, who was not identified, was seated in the left seat. The pilot’s son, who also was not identified, held a private pilot certificate was seated in the right seat as a passenger, the report said.
A rear passenger, who was also not identified, held a private pilot certificate and multi-engine ratings and was seated near the cockpit in the cabin area.
The report said that during takeoff roll, the rear passenger said that the left engine was producing more power than the right and said there could be a faulty gauge. The pilot continued takeoff despite that comment, the report said.
At 10:10 a.m., the cockpit microphone picked up the pilot saying that his altitude indicator was not working properly and that the left-side flight instruments may also be malfunctioning.
About a minute later, control of the airplane was transferred to the right seat passenger, according to the report. There was no indication based on the recordings that there was an issue with the right side flight instruments, the report said.
The NTSB said the right-seat passenger was not qualified to perform second-in-command duties.
At approximately 10:13 a.m., it was reported that, at 1,900 feet, the pilot and both pilot-rated passengers could see the ground. The pilot had since taken back over control of the plane and requested the flaps be extended as they made a right turn, the report said.
At 10:13:48, according to the report, the right seat passenger indicated on the Statesville Regional Airport common traffic advisory frequency that “we’re having some issues here.”
The report said that the pilot made the comment indicating that it was the “problem,” but they did not clarify what the “problem” was or what was done to correct it.
The NTSB report said that the rear passenger made a query to the pilot about power to the alternator, however the Cessna 550 is not equipped with one.
The Cessna 550 then struck light stations on the runway and trees at approximately 1,400 feet before it crashed and caught fire. All seven passengers aboard the plane were killed in the crash.
The NTSB is still investigating the crash and a final report is still to come.