PORTLAND, Maine — A business jet crashed during takeoff in Maine on Sunday night as a snowstorm moved into the area and visibility diminished, killing six people, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Bombardier Challenger 600 flipped over and burned on takeoff at Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m., as the nation’s winter storm began reaching the region.
An audio recording of air traffic controller communications posted on LiveATC.net captured the aircraft’s situation shortly after it was cleared for takeoff, about 45 seconds later. In the recording, someone said, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” and airport officials said first responders arrived less than a minute afterward, according to airport director Jose Saavedra.
Investigators and aviation experts said the early focus is likely to include the weather and questions about whether ice accumulated on the wings. The National Transportation Safety Board will consider all possible factors as it works the crash, the report said, with officials and outside specialists pointing to conditions that can affect an aircraft’s ability to lift off in winter storms.
The FAA had initially reported seven deaths and one injury but warned the numbers were subject to change while it deferred to local authorities. Later, the airport said Monday afternoon that the flight manifest showed six people aboard and that all died.
John Cox, the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said the NTSB would closely examine the circumstances of the crash. “You can count on the fact that NTSB is going to look very closely at this,” Cox said.
The report said the incident occurred as other flights managed departures while the snowstorm intensified in Bangor. About half an hour before the Challenger 600 crash, the pilot of a Florida-bound Allegiant flight radioed the tower to abort takeoff after citing problems including a failed de-ice fluid and concerns about visibility. At the same time, audio posted by LiveATC.net shows the Challenger pilot radioing for the plane’s wings and tail to be treated; the jet remained at the deicing pad for about 20 minutes before taxiing to the runway.
The National Weather Service in Caribou said the airport eventually received nearly 10 inches of snow, but it was just beginning to fall at the time of the crash. It also reported wind speeds around 10 mph and temperatures dropping below 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) while the jet was in Bangor. Cox said those conditions would not keep planes from flying.
Jeff Guzzetti, an aviation safety consultant, said the Challenger 600 has a history of icing problems on takeoff that contributed to previous deadly crashes in Birmingham, England, and Montrose, Colorado, more than 20 years ago. Guzzetti said even small amounts of ice on the wings can cause serious problems, and he said careful inspections and de-icing are a crucial step before takeoff, noting that the effectiveness of de-icing may last only about 20 minutes.
Guzzetti said, “Given the weather conditions at the time, and the history of wing contamination with this particular aircraft, I’m sure that’s something the NTSB is going to look into immediately.” He added that if there was any freezing precipitation, “they would have needed to clean off those wings before they took off.”
According to flight tracking cited in the report, the Challenger 600 had just landed at Bangor from Houston at 6:09 p.m., meaning it would likely have been sitting outside in snow for more than an hour before attempting takeoff again. The report also said that it can take only a short time for ice to start building up on wings, particularly if the plane is refueled with cold jet fuel stored in wing tanks—a factor the NTSB has cited in previous crashes.
The airport shut down after the crash and will remain closed at least until Wednesday so federal investigators can examine and remove the wreckage, the report said. A preliminary report outlining the facts of the crash is expected in about a month, while the final version likely will not be published for more than a year.
The identities of the crash victims were not released publicly, officials said, until they can be confirmed. The jet was registered to a corporation based in Houston, and the report said the plane was headed for France when it crashed.