A Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport about 7:45 p.m. Sunday, flipping onto its back and catching fire as a winter storm pushed into the region, authorities said Monday.
The crash prompted an immediate shutdown of the airport and a joint investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Local officials said a flight manifest showed six people were aboard and all are presumed dead, revising early federal tallies that reported seven fatalities and one survivor. The aircraft was registered to a Houston-based company tied to a Texas law firm. Identities of the victims have not been released pending confirmation and notification of families.
Emergency dispatch recordings described responders racing to a runway scene with the aircraft resting upside down and burning after an attempted takeoff in blowing snow. Fire crews attacked flames that witnesses said were visible from nearby Griffin Road. Bangor’s airport director, Jose Saavedra, said federal investigators were expected on site Monday afternoon despite weather delays. “We expect to have a team of investigators on site later today,” Saavedra said at a briefing. Airport officials said no one from the scene was taken to a hospital and that crews remained through the night while the runway stayed closed.
Officials said the twin-engine jet had landed earlier Sunday and was preparing for departure when it crashed shortly after beginning its takeoff roll. Preliminary reports noted the Challenger 600 came to rest inverted and sustained heavy fire damage. Investigators will examine whether snow, ice accretion or deicing procedures played any role, along with engine performance and pilot decision-making during a fast-changing squall. Dispatch notes and radio traffic referenced low visibility and gusting winds around the time of the accident, but authorities said it is too soon to identify a probable cause. The FAA’s early count of eight aboard with one survivor was later superseded by Bangor officials who cited the flight manifest listing six people, all presumed dead.
Records list the jet’s registered owner as KTKJ Challenger LLC of Houston. Local outlets reported the company’s address matches that of a prominent Texas law firm, though it was not immediately clear who was on board. The NTSB said it will document the runway, wreckage position, flight control continuity and any recovered electronic data modules. Investigators will also seek ground cameras near the airfield, maintenance logs, fueling receipts and deicing records. The airport said federal teams were hampered overnight by heavy snow that limited access to the fuselage until daylight and improved plowing conditions. Officials stressed the identities of the dead remain unknown publicly pending work by the state medical examiner.
Winter storms have complicated air operations across the Northeast this week, with cancellations, diversions and long deicing waits. While the Challenger 600 family has a long service history, icing has figured in prior cold-weather incidents across various aircraft types, and investigators typically review whether wing contamination affected lift and control at rotation. Bangor International, a former Air Force base with long runways and regularly scheduled airline service, has handled military and cargo diversions in harsh weather for decades. The airport’s fire and rescue unit trains for aircraft incidents and worked alongside Bangor Fire Department companies Sunday night under a unified command.
Airport officials said the airfield will remain closed at least through Tuesday while federal teams document debris and prepare the wreckage for removal. The NTSB said it will release a preliminary report within about 30 days and a final determination at the end of a months-long investigation. Any cockpit voice or flight data recordings, if available, will be processed at the agency’s labs. Saavedra said airlines operating at Bangor are adjusting schedules and that travelers will be rebooked through other airports in Maine and Boston once the field reopens. The FAA will conduct a parallel review of air traffic control communications and runway condition reports from the evening of the crash.
By late Monday, a police truck still blocked Griffin Road near the airport fence and a small crowd of residents watched plows circle a quiet runway lit only by emergency vehicles. At a briefing, officials declined to release names or home towns but described the next steps: securing the inverted fuselage, stabilizing remaining fuel and opening a safe lane for investigators. “Our thoughts are with the families,” a city spokesperson said, adding that the city would coordinate memorial and counseling resources as details emerge. A handwritten sign taped to the terminal door read simply, “Closed — federal investigation in progress.”
As of Monday night, the airport remained closed and six people were presumed dead, with federal investigators due to issue a preliminary report within 30 days. The next update is expected after the NTSB completes on-scene documentation this week.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.