Expert Opinion
AINsight: Unlicensed Activity in Aviation
Pilot certification and experience lapses lead to two fatal accidents
Fatal Crash of Cessna 550, December 2025
​​​NTSB Member Michael Graham and NTSB staff perform an initial walk around of the wreckage of the Cessna Citation C550 that crashed in Statesville, North Carolina on Dec. 18, 2025.

On Dec. 18, 2025, a Cessna Citation II was destroyed when it crashed at North Carolina’s Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH), killing the pilot and six passengers. Operating under Part 91 regulations, the twinjet had a planned destination of Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ) in Florida.

Nascar legend and former champion Greg Biffle owned the aircraft. Killed in the crash were Biffle, his family (wife and two children), an ATP-rated pilot, the pilot’s adult son, and one other passenger.

Stuart “Kipp” Lau
Contributor - Safety
About the author

Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.

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