Seven Killed, One Survives As Private Jet Crashes During Snowstorm At Maine Airport

Seven people were killed and one crew member survived with serious injuries after a private business jet crashed during a snowstorm at Bangor International Airport in Maine, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Bombardier Challenger 600, carrying eight people, crashed during takeoff at about 7:45 p.m. on Sunday as New England and large parts of the country were affected by a major winter storm. The airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston, was shut down shortly after the incident.

Snowfall was heavy at the time of the crash, although only a few inches had fallen and other aircraft were taking off safely. The jet was registered to a corporation that shares an address in Houston, Texas, with the personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers. One of the firm’s founding partners is listed as the registered agent for the company that owns the aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The NTSB said preliminary information indicates the aircraft crashed upon departure and experienced a post crash fire, adding that it would issue no further statement until investigators arrive at the scene in a day or two.

The NTSB said it has no role in releasing information about victims, noting that such details are handled by local authorities. Airport director Jose Saavedra declined to comment on the victims, saying at a news conference on Monday that he was “awaiting guidance and support from federal partners.”

Audio recordings from air traffic control captured someone saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” about 45 seconds after the plane was cleared for takeoff. Saavedra said first responders arrived less than a minute later.

Bangor International Airport, which offers direct flights to cities including Orlando, Washington and Charlotte, was closed shortly after the crash and is expected to remain closed until at least noon on Wednesday.

Saavedra said the airport had been experiencing steady snowfall on Sunday, though aircraft were landing and departing around the time of the crash. The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine, reported that nearly 10 inches of snow fell in total, although snowfall was just beginning when the jet went down.

“We have crews on site that respond to weather storms on a regular basis,” he said. “This is normal for us to respond to weather events.”

The winter storm disrupted travel across much of the eastern half of the US, dumping snow, sleet and freezing rain, grounding flights, blocking roads and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. About 12,000 flights were cancelled on Sunday and nearly 20,000 delayed, according to flight tracker flightaware.com, with airports across the Northeast and Southeast affected.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide bodied business jet configured to carry between 9 and 11 passengers. First launched in 1980, it was the first private jet designed with a “walk about cabin” and remains a popular charter aircraft.

Bangor International Airport is the largest airport serving northern and eastern Maine. Its long standing joint use agreement with the Maine Air National Guard states that “runways are ready rain or shine or snow,” under the slogan: “A Little Snow Doesn’t Scare Us.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri