Challenger Crashes in Maine

Several people were killed, and Bangor International Airport is closed.

A Bombardier Challenger 600.
Bombardier Challenger 600 [Credit: Adrian Pingstone/Wikimedia Commons]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet crashed during takeoff from Bangor International Airport (KBGR) in Maine on Sunday evening.
  • The FAA reported seven fatalities and one seriously injured survivor, though an initial airport statement indicated six presumed dead.
  • The crash has led to the closure of Bangor International Airport, causing numerous flight cancellations and diversions, and is under investigation by the FAA and NTSB.
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A Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet crashed in Bangor, Maine, on Sunday, according to the FAA.

The aircraft crashed as it was taking off from Bangor International Airport (KBGR) around 7:45 p.m. EST, the agency said.

FAA officials disclosed Monday that seven people were killed in the incident, and one member of the flight crew survived with serious injuries. This appears to contradict a statement from the airport that six people were on board the aircraft, and that all six are presumed dead.

The identities of those on board have not been disclosed.

In a joint statement, the city of Bangor, Bangor International Airport, and the Bangor Police Department said the airport remains closed, with “numerous flight cancellations and diversions.”

The accident response involved Bangor police, airport personnel, fire and rescue crews from the 101st Maine Air National Guard, and fire units from Bangor and several nearby towns, the statement said. An emergency operations center at the airport remains active as of Monday.

The crash occurred as a powerful winter storm battered New England and much of the eastern U.S. It is not clear if weather conditions played any role in the incident.

At a press conference, the director of Bangor airport declined to comment on where the jet was heading at the time of the crash, who was on board, and who owned it.

Texas-based KRIV-TV reported Monday that the jet is registered to an entity that shares an address with a Houston law firm.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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