'Aircraft upside down': Private jet crashes in Bangor as winter storm pummels Maine

A private jet with eight people crashed on takeoff from Bangor, Maine, on Sunday evening, according to the FAA. The plane was a Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet and went down at around 7:45 pm ET, according to CNN, with emergency crews being contacted around that time. The incident comes as a winter storm blasts the state. The extent of passengers’ injuries is not immediately clear. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash. A massive snowstorm is ripping through the Northeast, and light snowfall has been causing visibility issues. The temperatures are below freezing point in Maine. CNN reported that federal records show that the plane is registered to a limited liability corporation in Houston. According to audio obtained from LiveATC.net, controllers and pilots at Bangor Airport talked about low visibility and deicing with each other, although the conversation isn't entirely clear. The audio reveals that the pilot was cleared for takeoff on Bangor’s Runway 33.

Minutes later, a controller loudly radios, "All traffic is stopped on the field! All traffic is stopped on the field!" Soon after, another controller is heard saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.” The airport was immediately closed, and emergency vehicles went to the airfield.

FAA wrote on X, "A Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed as it was taking off from Bangor International Airport in Maine around 7:45 p.m local time on Sunday, Jan. 25. Eight people were on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate." Reports suggest five on board are passengers and three are crew.

Netizens think the Bangor jet belonged to Houston-based law firm Arnold & Itkin

As soon as the news of the Maine crash emerged, netizens did a quick check and linked it to the Houston-based law firm Arnold & Itkin. It is not known whether the name partners and Texas Athletics donors Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin were on board the Bombardier Challenger 650 jet. They graduated from the University of Texas and recently made one of the largest donations to the school. A release during the time of the donations states that the Kurt & Tara Arnold Family Foundation and the Jason & Kisha Itkin Family Foundation have collectively pledged $40 million to support the athletics program at the school