A private jet with eight passengers on board crashed shortly after departing a bustling airport in the United States amidst heavy snowfall. The incident involving a Bombardier Challenger 600 occurred at Maine’s Bangor International Airport around 7:45 pm. Authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, are currently conducting investigations with no immediate updates on the passengers’ conditions.
The crash took place during a significant winter storm affecting New England and various parts of the country, leading to consistent snowfall. Emergency crews were dispatched to the airport, which was subsequently closed following the single aircraft incident during departure.
In response to the situation, Bangor International Airport issued a statement urging individuals to avoid the area while first responders assessed the ongoing developments. Prior to takeoff, the pilot and air traffic control communicated about poor visibility due to adverse weather conditions, prompting the plane’s departure from runway 33. However, moments later, air traffic control alerted to a halt in all traffic on the field and reported an aircraft overturning with possible passengers on board.
Bangor International Airport, situated approximately 200 miles north of Boston, offers direct flights to destinations like Orlando, Washington DC, and Charlotte. Over the weekend, a severe storm swept across the eastern US, causing disruptions in air and road travel, power outages in the South East, and major flight cancellations and delays, affecting airports in several states.
The Bombardier Challenger 600, a spacious business jet accommodating nine to 11 passengers, was introduced in 1980 as the first private jet with a “walk-about cabin” and remains a favored charter option in the aviation industry. Commercial air traffic across the US experienced significant disturbances during the storm, resulting in thousands of flight cancellations and delays, particularly impacting airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey.