A private jet crashed Sunday while taking off from Bangor International Airport in Maine, leaving seven dead and one injured, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
Flight N10KJ “crashed under unknown circumstances on departure, came to rest inverted and caught on fire,” the FAA said in a preliminary report. The seven reported fatalities were passengers, while the injured individual was a member of the flight crew. The plain, a Bombardier CL 600, crashed at 7:45 p.m. local time, USA Today reported. (RELATED: Massive Winter Storm Leaves 18 People Dead, 800,000 Without Power)
Federal investigators were not able to get to the scene of the crash due to major snow and ice from a winter storm. Investigators could take at least one more day to reach the location, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokeswoman Sarah Taylor Sulick told USA Today.
“We probably wouldn’t have reached the site by Monday morning even if there hadn’t been snow due to the location of our investigators assigned to the case,” Sulick said. “But the weather is adding additional time to our expected arrival.”
Bangor International Airport Director Jose Saavedra addressed the crash in a Monday news conference. He said the NTSB was responding to the incident and the airport remained closed to the public, noting that further updates will be provided when available.
“We appreciate your understanding and patience regarding the incident and ask you to continue to respect the privacy of those involved,” Saavedra said.
Minutes before the incident, controllers and pilots at the airport could be heard speaking of low visibility and deicing, WABI reported, citing LiveATC.net audio. A controller reportedly cleared flight N10KJ for liftoff. A controller said, “All traffic is stopped on the field,” almost two and a half minutes after, according to audio.
“Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” another controller reportedly said moments after.
The identities of the individuals on the plane remain undisclosed, according to the outlet.
The Daily Caller contacted the FAA, who did not immediately comment on the incident.