Updated: 6 Killed in Private Plane Crash at Maine Airport
Six people were killed in a single plane crash Sunday night at Bangor International Airport in Maine, according to local officials, correcting what appears to have been a report from the federal government that seven people died.
A late Monday morning preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had indicated that seven people were killed and one seriously injured.
However, Bangor police and airport officials later disputed the FAA account, maintaining that there were six, not eight, people on board and all are presumed deceased.
“According to the flight manifest there were six people on the flight. No one from the incident was transported to the hospital, and all on the flight are presumed to be deceased. The identities of the people on the flight are not being released publicly at this time, pending positive identification,” a posting on the airport’s website states.
Local officials said there are sources providing information that “have not been verified or vetted through all appropriate channels before being released.”
Later on Monday, the FAA indicated it agreed with the local officials that six people were onboard and that two crew members and four passengers were killed.
The aircraft apparently crashed on the runway about 7:45 pm while departing the airport. The plane became inverted when it crashed and then it caught fire, the FAA reported.
The private plane was a Bombardier CL 600 airplane reportedly registered to a well-known Houston personal injury law firm, Arnold and Itkin.
Officials have not yet confirmed the identities of any victims.
ABC 13 television news in Houston said it had learned that the victims include Tara Arnold, a lawyer and wife of one of the prominent law firm’s founders; Jacob Hosmer, the pilot; and an event planner whose daughter confirmed she was onboard.
ABC 13 reported that Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, founders of the law firm, were not on the plane.
The plane trip originated in Houston and had stopped in Bangor to refuel for a trip to France, according to ABC-13.
The airport was being hit with some snow at the time, although it was not closed. Planes were landing and departing while snow clearing and de-icing efforts were underway, according to Jose Saavedra, airport director. He said it is “normal” for the airport’s work crews to deal with weather events.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. The storm has impeded the arrival of an investigative team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Saavedra said the team may not be on scene until this evening.
State and local emergency crews and the National Guard worked through Sunday evening at the crash site. The public was asked to avoid the airport area.
The airport closed and all flights were cancelled after the accident. It will remain closed until at least Wednesday at noon.
Photo: This image taken from video provided by WABI television, emergency services work on a scene of the Bombardier Challenger 600 crash at the Bangor Airport in Maine, late Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (WABI via AP)