Greg Biffle's memorial service today in Charlotte stadium

A memorial service is planned for today in Charlotte for former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his family and others who were killed in a plane crash last month.

The service, which is open to the public and will be livestreamed on NASCAR platforms, was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Bojangles Coliseum.

Biffle was among seven killed along with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, when the plane crashed as it returned to the airport in Statesville, North Carolina, according to authorities. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the NTSB.

The 55-year-old Biffle was selected by NASCAR as one of its top 75 drivers in history, was a Hall of Fame nominee for the stock car series and drove for 18 years at the top of the sport. He drew headlines last year with tireless humanitarian efforts as a helicopter pilot supplying aid in the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene.

The Cessna C550 erupted in flames when it hit the ground shortly after it had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about an hour’s drive north of Charlotte. The plane crashed while trying to return and land, authorities said.



(AP Photo Orlin Wagner)