Federal Aviation Administration says 7 killed, 1 survived jet crash in snow in Bangor, Maine

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The business jet that crashed Sunday evening while trying to take off in a snowstorm in Maine, killing 7 people, is a plane model that has a history of problems with crashes caused by ice buildup on the wings.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 carrying eight people crashed on takeoff at Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m. Sunday night as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that one member of the crew survived with serious injuries but everyone else aboard died.

The airport, about 200 miles north of Boston, shut down after the crash and will remain closed at least until Wednesday so investigators can examine and remove the wreckage.

Snowfall was heavy at the time of the crash in many other parts of the country, but accumulation had just started in Bangor and other planes had been taking off safely.

This particular plane model “has a history of problems with icing on takeoff” that has caused previous crashes, aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said. The former federal crash investigator said even a little bit of ice on the wings can cause serious problems, so this plane would have needed to be deiced before takeoff but it’s not clear when or if that was done.