Aircraft in Statesville Crash Identified as Cessna 550
The plane that crashed after takeoff from Statesville Regional Airport has been identified as a Cessna 550, according to registry records.
2 reports on this incident · first at Sep 3, 2026, 4:17 p.m. ET
Earlier reports
Sep 3, 2026, 4:17 p.m. ETFirst report
Cessna 550 Crash After Takeoff in Statesville Prompts Wrongful Death Lawsuits
A Cessna 550 crashed on December 18, 2025, minutes after takeoff from Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina, according to TMZ. The aircraft, registered as N257BW, was in the climb phase when the crash occurred, TMZ reported.
According to aircraft registry records, the Cessna 550 is a twin-engine jet landplane with P&W Canada JT15D-1 engines, serial number 5500283. The registered owner of record is Bem Flight Deck LLC, a Delaware-based aircraft holding entity; the owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
The NTSB has opened case WPR26MA063 for the accident. The cause has not been determined. The NTSB database lists 32 other cases involving the Cessna 550 since 2008, of which 6 involved a fatality; that record says nothing about the cause of this accident.
TMZ reports that Greg Biffle's estate faces three wrongful death lawsuits totaling $40 million in claims. The investigation is ongoing.
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Reference data
From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.
- Registration
- N257BW
- Type
- Cessna 550 — twin-engine jet landplane
- Engines
- P&W CANADA JT15D-1
- Registered owner
- Bem Flight Deck LlcThe owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
- Terrain elevation
- 925 ft
- Nearest aerodrome
- 3.9 miles ENE of Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH/SVH)
Sources
Revision history
- Version 13 Sept 2026, 20:21current
First published.
- Version 13 Sept 2026, 20:17current
First published.
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