Six people died when a Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday evening, amid a severe winter storm. The crash occurred at approximately 7:45 pm as snow and reduced visibility hampered operations. The airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston, was shut down following the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, with initial focus on weather conditions and possible ice accumulation on the wings. The Bombardier Challenger 600 has a history of icing-related issues, having been involved in previous deadly crashes in Birmingham, England, and Montrose, Colorado, over 20 years ago. Even a small amount of ice can severely affect performance, and de-icing typically remains effective for only about 20 minutes.
According to the airport director, Jose Saavedra, first responders arrived less than a minute after the crash. An audio recording 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. The NTSB confirmed a post-crash fire but provided no further details pending investigators' arrival.
The jet was registered to a corporation sharing an address in Houston, Texas, with the personal injury law firm Arnold & Itkin Trial Lawyers. One of the firm's founding partners is listed as the registered agent for the company that owns the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration initially reported seven deaths and one survivor, but later revised the figure to six fatalities, matching the flight manifest.
The National Weather Service reported that Bangor received nearly 10 inches of snow from the storm, with light but steady snowfall at the time of the crash. The storm, which brought sleet, freezing rain, and snow across the eastern US, caused widespread travel disruptions, with nearly 12,000 flight cancellations on Sunday. At least 15 deaths were attributed to the weather conditions across multiple states.
Bangor International Airport, the largest in northern and eastern Maine, was expected to remain closed until at least noon on Wednesday. The airport has a joint use agreement with the Maine Air National Guard, and its website boasts that “runways are ready rain or shine – or snow,” with the motto “A Little Snow Doesn’t Scare Us.”
