The lawsuit was filed Oct. 16 in Iredell County Superior Court against the estates of Biffle, Dutton and Dutton’s 20-year-old son, Jack Dutton, as well as GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a company owned by Biffle. The suit alleges Biffle and Dennis Dutton knew a qualified second pilot was required but permitted Jack Dutton to serve in that role without the necessary qualifications.

According to the complaint, Dennis Dutton told Biffle he had found someone to act as co-pilot and that the arrangement would be “cheap.” Wadsworth’s estate alleges that avoiding the cost of a professional co-pilot was among the reasons the crew was chosen, and says Biffle should have stopped the flight or hired a more experienced crew member.

The complaint also alleges that GB Aviation Leasing operated the aircraft and leased hangar space without an FAA air-carrier certificate, an authorization required for commercial charter operations. It accuses Biffle of negligence as Dutton’s employer and as the company’s owner and manager. The claims have not been established in court.

Wadsworth’s estate seeks at least $25,000, plus court costs and interest, from the defendants. The suit is among four wrongful-death cases arising from the crash, which killed seven people, including Biffle, members of his family, Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton. The cases collectively involve $40 million in claims, according to the lawsuit reporting.

The estates of Dennis and Jack Dutton filed their own wrongful-death suits in April 2026. In May, Nicole Biffle, Greg Biffle’s former wife, sued over the death of their 14-year-old daughter, Emma, who also died in the crash.