Six people died when a Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday evening as a snowstorm moved into the area. The aircraft flipped over and burned about 7:45 p.m. as visibility diminished, according to airport director Jose Saavedra and National Transportation Safety Board officials. All six people aboard the jet were killed, the airport said Monday.
The crash will likely prompt investigation into whether ice accumulating on the aircraft’s wings prevented it from becoming airborne—a problem that has affected this model in at least two prior fatal crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board will examine all possible factors, but aviation experts said ice buildup on the Bombardier Challenger 600 is likely to be an initial focus.
Investigation Underway
The National Transportation Safety Board will examine all possible factors in the crash, but investigators are expected to focus closely on whether ice accumulating on the aircraft’s wings prevented it from becoming airborne. “You can count on the fact that NTSB is going to look very closely at this,” said John Cox, chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, an aviation safety consulting firm.
The crash occurred as a massive winter storm moved into the region. Audio recordings of air traffic control released by LiveATC.net documented that the aircraft was cleared for takeoff, with someone saying “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down” approximately 45 seconds later. First responders arrived less than a minute after the crash, according to Saavedra, the airport director.
Weather and Visibility Concerns
At the time of the crash, snowfall had just begun at Bangor International Airport, though the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine reported the airport eventually received nearly 10 inches of snow. Wind speeds were about 10 mph, which is within normal operating parameters. Temperatures dropped below 3 degrees Fahrenheit (-16 Celsius) while the jet was on the ground.
About 30 minutes before the fatal crash, an Allegiant Air pilot radioed the control tower to abort his takeoff. “One, our deice fluid has failed and two, I don’t think the visibility is good enough for us to go, so we’re going to have to taxi back to the gate here,” the Allegiant pilot said, according to the LiveATC audio. The controller responded that he was about to warn the pilot that visibility had dropped to about three-quarters of a mile.
History of Icing Problems
According to aviation safety consultant and former federal crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti, the Bombardier Challenger 600 has a documented history of problems with icing on takeoff that caused deadly crashes in Birmingham, England in 2002 and Montrose, Colorado in 2006.
The 2006 crash in Montrose killed the son of NBC television executive Richard Ebersol. Following that investigation, the FAA published new rules clarifying that even a small amount of frost on aircraft wings can compromise safety. The agency also clarified deicing standards to ensure all frozen particles are removed and required tactile and visual inspections before takeoff.
Bombardier was additionally required to add a cold weather operations warning to the plane’s flight manual after three incidents in Canada where the aircraft rolled unexpectedly during takeoff in cold and icing conditions.
Timeline on the Ground
The Bombardier landed at Bangor from Houston at 6:09 p.m., according to FlightRadar24.com, meaning the aircraft sat on the tarmac for more than an hour before attempting takeoff. According to air traffic control recordings, the plane taxied to the deicing pad and remained there for about 20 minutes before being cleared to taxi to the runway.
Aviation experts noted that ice can accumulate quickly on aircraft wings, particularly if the plane is refueled with cold jet fuel stored in wing tanks—a factor the NTSB has investigated in previous crashes. “Even a little bit of ice on the wings can cause serious problems,” Guzzetti said, “so careful inspections and de-icing are a crucial step before takeoff.”
The jet was headed for France when it crashed. Bangor International Airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston, is one of the closest U.S. airports to Europe and is frequently used as a refueling stop for private jets flying overseas.
The airport remains closed at least until Wednesday for investigation by the FAA and NTSB, which will examine and remove the wreckage. A preliminary crash report is expected in about a month, though the final investigation report likely will not be published for more than a year.
The identities of those aboard have not been officially released. The jet was registered to a corporation that shares the same Houston address as the personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, one of whose founding partners is listed as the registered agent for the company that owns the plane.