Eerie 'Let There Be Light' Message Captured Before Private Jet Crash in Maine Snowstorm
An unsettling audio recording has emerged from the cockpit of a private jet that crashed during takeoff in heavy snow at Bangor International Airport in Maine. The incident, which occurred around 7.45pm on Sunday, involved a Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet with eight people on board.
Dramatic footage shows the wreckage of the aircraft upside-down on the runway, with black smoke filling the air. The fate of those aboard remains unclear, with an update on their condition expected at 10am ET.
Mysterious Audio Recording
Audio from the aircraft radio recording, heard by the Daily Mail, included a voice saying 'let there be light' minutes before the crash. It remains uncertain whether this eerie line was spoken by one of the pilots or an air-traffic controller, or what they were referring to.
Speculation suggests they may have been commenting on how Bangor's Runway 33 went from pitch black to brightly lit after they switched on the runway lighting. Other radio chatter included discussions between pilots and air-traffic control about low visibility in the winter storm and procedures for removing ice from the plane before takeoff.
Chaotic Moments Before Impact
Less than two minutes after the tower cleared the plane for takeoff, controllers shouted 'All traffic is stopped on the field! All traffic is stopped on the field!' Minutes later, another controller reported: 'Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.'
A witness claimed the plane lifted off the runway but then crashed back onto it and 'exploded'. Another video from a doorcam recorded a loud bang when the plane crashed, though it didn't capture video of the incident itself.
Severe Weather Conditions
The crash occurred amid extreme winter weather, with temperatures at just 1F - well below freezing - and Bangor receiving six to eight inches of snow on Sunday. A winter storm warning went into effect in Maine at 7pm and will remain until 3am on Tuesday.
Forecasters have described the storm as catastrophic, with at least 24 states declaring a state of emergency. Heavy snow and dangerous ice have hit 34 states across the South, Midwest and Northeast, causing widespread travel chaos across the US with 11,000 flights cancelled due to Winter Storm Fern.
Flight Details and Investigation
The plane is registered to a law firm in Houston, according to aviation records. The flight is believed to have been headed for Paris and had reportedly stopped in Maine to refuel before the nighttime journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. FAA weather cameras captured the clouded conditions at the airport around the time of the incident, highlighting the poor visibility that contributed to the challenging circumstances.
As investigations begin, the aviation community awaits answers about what caused the Bombardier Challenger 650 to crash during takeoff in such treacherous conditions, with the mysterious 'let there be light' message adding an unsettling dimension to the tragedy.
