NASCAR legend Greg Biffle dead after private jet crashes in US

The Cessna Citation aircraft was seen engulfed in flames to the right of the runway at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday at around 10:15am local time.

According to reports, all six people on board died including Biffle, 55, his wife Cristina Grossu Biffle, their daughter Emma, 14, and son Ryder, five.

The other two victims have not yet publicly identified.

Images taken from the scene shows the fireball metres away with black smoke seen in the air caused by the crash when the plane tried to land.

It traveled about five miles before turning back toward the airport but is unclear why.

Bill Hamby, Iredell County Chief Deputy, said: "A Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina around 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 18. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate."

A witness who works at the airport said she saw the plane on fire after the crash.

"My desk faces where it happened. I was just sitting here, and then I heard a loud boom," she told CNN.

"Our hangar shook a little. I got up to look and that’s when I saw the flames and fire everywhere."

Multiple sources have also told local radio station that the family had died in the crash.

Fellow NASCAR driver Cleetus McFarland said all four died in the crash on the way to visit him in North Carolina.

Posting on Facebook, he said: "Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane…because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us.

"We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this."

Biffle, who was born in Vancouver, Washington, has more than 500 NASCAR cup starts and 19 wins to his name across a 16-year career.

He won across the sport’s three series – Truck, Xfinity and Cup - scooped 175 top ten finishes in total.

He was also praised recently for dedicating his efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica by coordinating and assisting with aid.

The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN: "The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates."

During a brief press conference held earlier, officials said that the airport is closed and the investigation is active.

The airport, located around 40 miles north of Charlotte, provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams, according to its website.

The area is also home to several NASCAR tracks and racing teams.