Related videos:
A private plane with eight people on board crashed Sunday night during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in the state of Maine, amid a severe snowstorm affecting the northeastern United States.
So far, the severity of the occupants' injuries is unknown.
A knowledgeable source about the incident told CNN that no official reports have been released regarding the health status of the individuals on board.
However, it is presumed that the plane was carrying three crew members and five passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the incident, which occurred around 7:45 p.m., and the cause remains under investigation.
The crashed jet is a Bombardier Challenger 600, registered under the name of a limited liability company based in Houston, Texas, according to federal records.
This model is a wide-body business jet with a capacity for nine to eleven passengers, known for its spacious cabin and commonly used for executive or charter flights.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA will investigate the circumstances of the accident, while operations at the airport remained suspended throughout the night on Sunday.
Extreme weather conditions: The backdrop of the accident
The tragedy occurred in a highly adverse climatic context.
A massive winter storm battered New England and much of the eastern United States over the weekend, leaving sleet, freezing rain, and snow that disrupted air and ground traffic, and affected the power supply in hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
According to CNN, temperatures were below freezing at the time of the accident, and light snowfall significantly reduced visibility.
Bangor Airport had experienced constant precipitation and snow accumulation, which complicated takeoff maneuvers.
A few minutes before the incident, radio exchanges were recorded between air traffic controllers and various aircraft, discussing low visibility and de-icing procedures.
Although it is not clear who was addressing whom at each moment, it is known that a controller authorized the takeoff of the plane on runway 33.
Shortly after, another voice is heard yelling over the radio:
"Traffic stopped on the runway! Traffic stopped on the runway!"
Y, finally, another controller reports: “Aircraft overturned. We have a passenger plane overturned.”
Preliminary information and emergency operation
The city of Bangor and the airport administration confirmed in a joint statement that "emergency teams remain on site and are expected to work actively for several more hours before additional information is available."
They also reiterated that the incident involved a single aircraft and that access to the airfield was restricted to allow emergency units to work.
The national air chaos
The accident in Maine is just one facet of a much broader situation.
During the weekend, the storm caused the cancellation of over 12,000 flights and nearly 20,000 delays across the country, impacting key airports such as those in New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, North Carolina, and Baltimore, according to data from the FlightAware portal.
Bangor Airport, which typically offers commercial flights to destinations such as Orlando, Washington D.C., and Charlotte, is located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston.
Its location makes it a vulnerable point to the extreme weather conditions that occur every winter in the region.
The FAA and the NTSB have already begun the formal investigation process of the accident, which will include reviewing communications prior to takeoff, weather data, runway conditions, the technical status of the aircraft, and the de-icing procedures applied.
Filed under: