Two wrongful death lawsuits have been filed in fatal plane crashes

Two new wrongful-death lawsuits have been filed in connection with a fatal December plane crash that killed a former NASCAR driver Greg failedHis wife Christina, their two children, and pilot Dennis Dutton and his son Jack.

The Dutton estate filed suit earlier this week, seeking $15 million in damages each.

The Dutton family alleged that Biffle, the owner of the plane, was responsible for ensuring the plane was properly maintained, according to the filing. The lawsuits claimed that inadequate maintenance and upkeep contributed to the accident.

Dennis Dutton was flying the plane when the Cessna 500 Citation II crashed on Dec. 18 shortly after takeoff from Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. An initial report earlier this year revealed that the plane’s altimeter was giving incorrect readings and that Dennis Dutton had turned over control to his son shortly before the crash.

The plane burst into flames when it hit the ground about a third of a mile from the airport’s runway.

The National Transportation Safety Board has cleared that Jack Dutton was in the copilot seat. Neither Jack Dutton nor Biffle had the correct endorsement on their pilot’s licenses to act as co-pilot on that aircraft. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, who investigated the crash for both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said he believes the lack of an experienced co-pilot may have been a key factor in the crash.

The NTSSB is still investigating the crash and has not yet released its final report.

Biffle, 55, has won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He won the Trucks Series Championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.

In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helen hit the United States, even using his personal helicopter to provide aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.