A private jet crashed on Sunday evening at Bangor International Airport in Maine, killing all six people on board.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600, crashed as it was taking off from the airport around 7:45 p.m., as a winter storm as bringing heavy snow and wind across the East Coast. The agency said that, based on preliminary information, the plane crashed on departure, “came to rest inverted and caught on fire.”
According to the Bangor police, a flight manifest indicated that there were six people on board the flight. “No one from the incident was transported to the hospital, and all on the flight are presumed to be deceased,” the police said in a statement. A spokeswoman for the Bangor airport also said six people had been killed.
The identities of the victims had not released as of midday Monday.
The plane took off as a winter storm was bringing heavy snow and wind across the East Coast, but there was no immediate word on whether the snow played a role in the crash. The F.A.A. said that, based on preliminary information, the plane crashed on departure, “came to rest inverted and caught on fire.”
Maris Lee, 59, who was visiting Maine from St. Petersburg, Fla., said she and her husband were on the third floor of the airport hotel looking out at the falling snow when they witnessed the crash.
“I saw a muted orange flash, followed by a boom,” Ms. Lee said. “We had no idea what it was, and we were horrified to hear it was a plane crash.”
At a news conference at Bangor International Airport on Monday morning, the airport director, Jose Saavedra, said emergency workers were on the scene in less than a minute. The Maine Air National Guard responded with fire and rescue vehicles, and firefighters from Bangor and about 10 other municipalities also responded, he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said that a team of investigators was on its way to the scene on Monday and that it would not have further updates until after they arrive in Maine, where a winter storm warning was in effect. “Due to the weather, it is difficult to predict when that will be, but we expect it will be in the next day or two,” the N.T.S.B. said.
The airport remained closed on Monday as emergency crews worked at the crash scene. The airport said on social media that it was expected to remain closed until at least Tuesday afternoon.
Victor Mather, who has been a reporter and editor at The Times for 25 years, covers sports and breaking news.
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