Seven people were killed and one crew member was seriously injured after a private business jet crashed during takeoff amid heavy snow at Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday evening, US aviation authorities said.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 with eight people on board crashed around 7:45 p.m. local time as a massive winter storm swept through New England and much of the eastern United States. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff and caught fire, according to preliminary information released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Crash during a snow storm
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the accident occurred as snowfall intensified in the region. Bangor International Airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston, was closed immediately after the incident and will remain closed until at least noon Wednesday.
Airport director Jose Saavedra said snow was falling continuously at the time, although planes were landing and departing around the crash. The National Weather Service said Bangor ended up receiving nearly 10 inches of snow, though heavier snowfall arrived later in the night.
Aircraft ownership
The plane was registered to a corporation sharing the same Houston address as Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, a privacy law firm. One of the firm’s founding partners is listed as the registered representative of the company that owns the plane, records show.
An investigation is underway
The FAA and NTSB launched a joint investigation. The NTSB said the plane crashed on takeoff and a fire broke out after the crash, but would not release further details until investigators arrive at the scene in the coming days.
The agency said it does not release information about victims who are being handled by local authorities. Saavedra declined to comment on the identities of those killed, saying he was “awaiting guidance and support from federal partners.”
Wider impact of the storm
The crash occurred as a severe winter storm disrupted travel across much of the eastern US. Over the weekend, sleet, freezing rain and snow halted air and road travel and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes, particularly in the Southeast.
Commercial aviation was hit hard nationwide, with about 12,000 flights canceled and nearly 20,000 delayed Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Airports in cities including Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, New York and New Jersey reported major disruptions.
About the plane
The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-body business jet configured to carry nine to 11 passengers. Introduced in 1980, it was the first private jet with a “walk-up cabin”.
