North Carolina Plane Crash Kills Multiple People on Board

A private jet reportedly crashed in North Carolina Thursday morning, leaving multiple people dead.

According to local news station WBTV, the plane — a Cessna C550 — exploded in a massive fireball after crashing at Statesville Regional Airport, about 50 miles north of Charlotte.

The FAA confirmed the plane went down while attempting to land at approximately 10:20 AM ET.

Business records indicate the jet was owned by a company affiliated with retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, WBTV reports.

The number of passengers onboard was not immediately known … local law enforcement confirmed to WBTV that more than one person was killed.

FlightAware reports the plane was in the air for 26 minutes … the plane never climbed above 2,000 feet, reaching a top speed of 262 mph.

According to the city of Statesville’s website, the airport provides aviation facilities to several NASCAR teams.

The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the crash.