Final Text Reveals Passengers Knew of Plane Trouble Before Crash

Update 12/22/25 at 11:30 a.m.: The National Transportation Safety Board has affirmed that at least one emergency message was transmitted via text by someone aboard former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle’s aircraft prior to the deadly crash on Thursday, December 18.

NTSB member Michael Graham stated that a passenger communicated with a relative through a text message indicating an “emergency landing” during a Saturday, December 20 media briefing.

Graham did not specify the sender of the message, however People magazine reported on Friday, December 19 that Biffle’s spouse, Cristina, had texted her mother to inform her that the plane was experiencing difficulties.

Original story below:

The National Transportation Safety Board had no prior knowledge that Greg Biffle‘s wife, Cristina Grossu, had sent a text to her mother shortly before their plane went down.

“Currently, we are unaware of that information,” Michael Graham, 45th Member of the NTSB, explained during a press conference on Friday, December 19, in response to a journalist’s inquiry regarding Grossu’s text message.

“If anyone has knowledge of a text or any other relevant information, please share it with us by email, and we will then reach out to you,” Graham continued. “The same applies to videos. If you possess a video, please contact us, and we will provide instructions for submitting it.”

Grossu’s mother, Cathy Grossu, shared the final text message received from her daughter with People following the announcement of her passing on Thursday, December 18.

“She texted me from the plane, saying, ‘We’re having problems.’ And that was all,” Cathy recounted. “Therefore, we are utterly devastated. We are completely heartbroken.”

NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle's Fatal Plane Crash: Everything We Know So Far

NASCAR icon Biffle, alongside his wife Cristina, their 5-year-old son Ryder and Biffle’s daughter from a previous marriage, Emma, perished in a plane crash on Thursday. Family acquaintance and NASCAR driver Craig Wadsworth, pilot Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack, were also on board the aircraft and died in the accident.

Reports surfaced on Thursday that the aircraft was en route back to the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina when it crashed and caught fire. The flight lasted approximately 10 minutes before impact.

Cathy informed People on Thursday that the family was embarking on a “birthday celebration.” “To witness such a tragic end to it is just, it is incredibly difficult to cope with. I cannot believe they are gone,” she added.

Family members of the deceased have since issued a statement concerning the incident.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our family members,” they began. “This tragedy has left all of our families with immeasurable grief.”

Biffle and Cristina were remembered as “dedicated parents and committed philanthropists whose lives revolved around” both Ryder and Emma. The statement described Emma as “a remarkable person with a kind heart who was cherished by many” and Ryder as “an energetic, inquisitive and endlessly joyful” child.

“Each of them meant the world to us, and their passing creates an irreplaceable emptiness in our lives,” the statement concluded. “We request privacy, empathy and understanding as we mourn and attempt to process this unimaginable loss. We are thankful for the kindness and support that has been extended to our families during this exceptionally challenging time.”

Greg Biffle Plane Crash: Identities of 3 Additional Fatalities Revealed

“At this time, we have not been able to determine who was operating the plane,” Graham told reporters on Friday. “We do know that three of the individuals on board held pilots licenses, but we have not yet confirmed this information.” “That is one aspect we are currently investigating.”