NEED TO KNOW
- A private jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday, Jan., 25
- Eight people were onboard, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- The plane is registered to a Houston-based law firm, according to local media outlet Khou 11
A private plane carrying eight people has crashed in flames at a Maine airport.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed “as it was taking off from Bangor International Airport (BIA)” at around 7:45 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 25, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on X.
The FAA confirmed that eight people were onboard at the time of the crash.
“Emergency services are responding to an incident involving an aircraft at BIA that occurred at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Sunday,” BIA said in a statement. “The airport is closed and we ask that the public avoid the area.”
The plane had flown into Maine from Texas. The plane is registered to a Houston-based law firm, according to local media outlet Khou 11. Its registered owner is a company with a Houston address shared with the personal injury law firm Arnold & Itkin, according to Reuters.
Government officials told Reuters that there was a “significant fire after the crash.”
The incident occurred as snow began falling at the airport, amid poor weather conditions in the region, Reuters and Khou 11 reported.
Images from the scene show the plane upside down in flames and a smoke-filled airfield where the crash took place, surrounded by emergency responders.
An image from the scene shared by Khou 11 showed black smoke rising from the aircraft. According to the outlet, at the time of takeoff the jet had at least a mile of visibility and there was full visibility of the runway.
“First responders are still on scene and are expected to be actively working the site for several more hours before any additional information is available,” said the FAA. “An Emergency Operations Center has been established.”
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Flight cancellations were made after the incident. “Passengers are encouraged to contact their airlines for information regarding impacts to their travel plans,” said the FAA.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.
The incident comes as weather warnings were issued in Maine after winter storms swept across the region over the weekend, with up to 15 inches of snow falling in some areas, creating “hazardous” traveling conditions, per WABI.
The weather warnings are reportedly expected to continue until Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The FAA and NTSB did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment on Monday, Jan. 26.
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