Maine plane crash (AP image)
At least seven people were killed and a crew member survived with serious injuries after a private business jet crashed during takeoff amid a snowstorm at Bangor International Airport in the US state of Maine on Sunday night.The Bombardier Challenger 600, carrying eight people, flipped over and caught fire while attempting to depart the airport at around 7.45 pm (local time). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the fatalities and said the injured crew member was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment.The crash occurred as massive winter storms swept across large parts of the United States, bringing heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain, which disrupted air and road travel nationwide. Nearly 12,000 flights were canceled and about 20,000 were delayed on Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. The airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston was shut down shortly after the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the incident along with the FAA, said preliminary information showed the plane experienced a post-crash fire.Airport director Jose Saavedra said emergency responders reached the scene within moments of the crash. Referring to air traffic control recordings, he said an alert was raised soon after takeoff clearance. “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” an air traffic controller was heard saying about 45 seconds after the plane was cleared for departure, as reported by news agency AP.Saavedra said that first responders arrived in less than a minute and confirmed that the airport would remain closed until at least noon on Wednesday. Addressing weather preparedness, Saavedra said, “We have crews on site that respond to weather storms on a regular basis. This is normal for us to respond to weather events.”Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina were among the worst affected.The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-bodied business jet typically configured for nine to 11 passengers. Introduced in 1980, it was the first private jet with a “walk-about cabin” and remains a popular charter aircraft.The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched a joint investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Preliminary information indicates the plane experienced a post-crash fire upon departure. The NTSB said that it will not release further details until investigators arrive on-site.