Modern NASCAR legend Greg Biffle tragically died in a small plane crash in North Carolina on December 18, along with six others, including his wife and two children. No one on board the plane survived the crash. But while we already knew what happened, we didn't know why it happened. New information revealed in the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report sheds a little more light on what may have caused the crash, and sadly, it doesn't make Biffle or his friend Dennis Dutton look great. According to the preliminary report, Dutton piloted the plane with the assistance of his adult son Jack. Dutton was an Air Force veteran who later spent decades flying for Delta Air Lines, so he wasn't exactly an inexperienced pilot, but his son Jack definitely was. Per his April 29, 2025, first-class medical application, Dutton had reportedly logged 17,000 total hours of flight time and ...
Modern NASCAR legend Greg Biffle tragically died in a small plane crash in North Carolina on December 18, along with six others, including his wife and two children. No one on board the plane survived the crash. But while we already knew what happened, we didn’t know why it happened. New information revealed in the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report sheds a little more light on what may have caused the crash, and sadly, it doesn’t make Biffle or his friend Dennis Dutton look great.
According to the preliminary report, Dutton piloted the plane with the assistance of his adult son Jack. Dutton was an Air Force veteran who later spent decades flying for Delta Air Lines, so he wasn’t exactly an inexperienced pilot, but his son Jack definitely was. Per his April 29, 2025, first-class medical application, Dutton had reportedly logged 17,000 total hours of flight time and 400 hours in the last six months, while Jack’s logbook showed he only had 175.3 hours of experience in single-engine aircraft prior to the crash.
Additionally, the Cessna 550 they were flying requires two qualified pilots, and while Dutton was already rated to fly the A-320, A-330, A-350, B-737, B-757, B-767, CE-500, and DC-10, his CE-500 type rating still carried the “CE-500 Second in Command Required” limitation. According to the report, “the right seat passenger was not qualified to perform second in command duties per Title 14 CFR part 61.55.”
This tragic incident highlights the importance of proper pilot training and experience. The National Transportation Safety Board’s findings suggest that Jack Dutton, despite his father’s extensive flying experience, was not adequately prepared for the challenges of flying a single-engine aircraft. This case serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in aviation and the need for pilots to meet strict qualification standards.
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