Lawsuits filed in plane crash that killed NASCAR legend, 6 others

Nearly five months after a plane crash killed seven people including a NASCAR legend, two lawsuits have been filed in connection to the tragedy in North Carolina.

Former race car driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina Biffle, their 5-year-old son Ryder and Greg Biffle's daughter Emma, 14, died after the Cessna C550 jet crashed in Statesville on Dec. 18. Dennis Rollin Dutton, his son Jack Dutton and his employee and friend Craig Wadsworth also died in the late morning crash near the Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte.

Filed in Iredell County Superior Court on behalf of the Dutton estate, the lawsuits each seek $15 million in damages, according to court documents obtained by ESPN and local station WBTV.

According to the suits, the outlets reported Biffle owned the Cessna 550 plane that crashed, and was "responsible for maintenance, operation and safety."

USA TODAY has requested a copy of the suit, and reached out to the attorney representing the Dutton family.

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What caused the plane crash that killed Greg Biffle?

The official cause of the crash remained under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on May 1.

The plane was bound for Florida but attempted to return to the regional airport soon after takeoff in , according to FlightAware, which tracks flight paths and previous USA TODAY reporting.