A week before Christmas, veteran NASCAR driver Greg Biffle is making headlines for the most tragic of reasons: He was killed, along with his wife and two children, in a private plane crash in western North Carolina, according to news reports.
But a little over a year ago, he was making headlines of a different kind: For heroism in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
According to WCNC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thursday’s fatal crash occurred about 10:15 a.m. near Statesville Regional Airport in Iredell County, north of Charlotte.
Biffle was officially identified as a victim by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, according to WCNC.
A friend of Biffle’s, YouTube personality and professional driver Garrett Mitchell — known by the name Cleetus McFarland — published a Facebook post announcing that Biffle was on board the plane with his family en route to a Florida visit.
The news ignited mourning in the racing world:
NASCAR has lost a leader and a humanitarian.
Greg Biffle has died in a plane crash in North Carolina at the age of 55. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/RsNmAzJB4J
— Motorsport (@Motorsport) December 18, 2025
But it also inspired memories of Biffle’s actions last year as North Carolinians struggled with the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene.
Piloting his private helicopter, Biffle flew among cut-off communities, ferrying supplies and even Starlink internet service to hard-hit areas.
His social media posts documenting the activity were riveting. Here’s an example:
The mirror that caught our attention well over a mile away only way we we were able to find someone stranded in the mountains at bottom of steep canyon. 6 attempts to land due to difficulty but we got there – got him a chainsaw, EpiPens, insulin, chicken food, formula, gas, 2… pic.twitter.com/Wdl4w7hMZM
— Greg Biffle (@gbiffle) October 3, 2024
Biffle was far from the only private citizen who stepped up in the face of failure by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deal with the storm, but was a well-known face of welcome relief.
And as news spread about Thursday’s crash, tributes filled social media.
I’m at a complete loss for words.
Greg Biffle was one of the most heroic volunteers during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
For 2 weeks straight, Greg flew his own personal helicopter every single day to rescue victims who were stranded in the mountains.
A true hero. pic.twitter.com/SDC7kXm1Sz
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) December 18, 2025
Absolutely crushed about the loss of Greg Biffle and his beautiful family. An unbelievable talent behind the controls of literally anything. Checked all the boxes…Great guy, helped people in need, and most importantly was a great family man. Devastated for everyone!
— Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) December 18, 2025
I’m sure there’s 1,000,000 other posts out there but it cannot be stated how vital Greg Biffle was in organizing the western NC Helene relief effort which was among one of the largest civilian humanitarian missions ever on American soil.
The world didn’t just lose a NASCAR… pic.twitter.com/crmNXCjFPT
— ☈ Chris Jackson ☈ (@ChrisJacksonSC) December 18, 2025
“The world didn’t just lose a NASCAR great today,” South Carolina meteorologist Chris Jackson wrote in an X post. “The world lost a great man and great family that selflessly stepped up and used their resources for the greater good to help total strangers during their greatest time of need.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, according to ESPN.
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