Seven people were killed and one crew member suffered serious injuries after a private business jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine amid heavy snowfall, US aviation authorities said.
The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 600 carrying eight people, went down around 7:45 pm on Sunday as New England and large parts of the United States were hit by a powerful winter storm. The crash forced the immediate shutdown of Bangor International Airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the jet flipped over and caught fire shortly after attempting to take off. Audio recordings from air traffic control captured a frantic call moments after clearance was given, with a controller heard saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.”
Emergency crews reached the scene in less than a minute, airport director Jose Saavedra said during a news conference on Monday. However, he declined to release details about the victims, stating that he was awaiting guidance from federal authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken charge of the investigation. In a preliminary statement, the agency said the aircraft crashed shortly after departure and experienced a post-crash fire. Investigators are expected to arrive at the site within the next couple of days, after which further details will be shared.
The crash occurred despite Bangor Airport’s routine preparedness for winter conditions. Saavedra noted that snowfall was steady at the time, but flights were continuing to land and depart before the incident.
“This is normal for us to respond to weather events,” he said, adding that the airport regularly operates during snowstorms.
Bangor International Airport will remain closed until at least noon Wednesday, disrupting travel across the region. The airport offers direct flights to major US cities including Orlando, Washington DC, Charlotte, and others.
The incident unfolded as a massive winter storm swept across much of the eastern United States, dumping snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The storm caused widespread disruptions, canceling around 12,000 flights on Sunday and delaying nearly 20,000 more, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, New York, New Jersey, and North Carolina were among the hardest hit.
The Bombardier Challenger 600, introduced in 1980, is a wide-body business jet designed to carry between nine and 11 passengers. Known for being the first private jet with a walk-around cabin, it remains a popular choice for charter operations.