Six killed in Maine luxury plane crash as NTSB launches investigation

BANGOR, Maine — Six people were killed Sunday night when a luxury private jet crashed and burst into flames during takeoff at Bangor International Airport.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 was traveling from Houston to Paris and had stopped in Maine to refuel during a snowstorm.

Lakewood Church in Houston confirmed that longtime employee Shawna Collins, 53, was among the victims. The family of pilot Jacob Hosmer, 47, also confirmed his death.

Other victims are believed to be Nick Mastrascusa and Tara Arnold, an attorney and the wife of an Arnold & Itkin law firm co-founder.

The company that owns the aircraft is linked to the Arnold & Itkin law firm. Airport officials stated the plane underwent standard de-icing procedures before the attempted takeoff.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun an investigation into the cause of the crash, which has not yet been determined. Bangor International Airport was closed to preserve the scene.

The fatal crash of a Bombardier Challenger 600 in Maine has prompted an immediate inquiry by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with federal investigators expected to center their probe on two critical variables: severe weather conditions and the aircraft’s historical safety record regarding wing contamination.

While the aircraft had reportedly undergone de-icing procedures prior to departure, the decision by another pilot at the scene to remain grounded due to deteriorating visibility suggests that flight conditions were marginal at best. In aviation safety, even minor ice accumulation on a wing’s surface is a known catalyst for aerodynamic stalls, as it disrupts essential airflow and reduces lift during the high-risk takeoff phase. The NTSB’s scrutiny of these environmental factors will be central to determining whether the de-icing efforts were sufficient.

Beyond the immediate weather data, investigators are likely to examine the Challenger 600’s legacy. The airframe has a documented history involving icing-related incidents, most notably two accidents more than 20 years ago that were attributed to wing contamination. This historical precedent shifts the focus from an isolated mishap toward a potential systemic vulnerability in the aircraft’s design or its operational protocols in cold-weather environments.

While the NTSB will maintain a comprehensive scope—evaluating mechanical integrity and crew performance—the intersection of the model’s past technical challenges and the blizzard conditions at the time of the crash provides a clear roadmap for the initial phase of the investigation. Federal authorities will now look to reconcile flight data with historical safety benchmarks to determine if this latest tragedy is a recurrence of a long-standing industry concern.