A private jet carrying eight people has crashed while taking off from Bangor International Airport in the US state of Maine, aviation authorities have said.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 went down at around 19:45 local time (00:45 GMT on Monday), the Federal Aviation Administration stated, though the fate and identities of those on board remain uncertain.
The incident coincided with a dangerous winter storm that barreled across a large area of the US, resulting in fatalities and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Pilots were reportedly struggling with visibility conditions at the airport prior to the crash.
Bangor remains under a winter storm warning until Tuesday, with forecasts indicating heavy snowfall ahead.
Following the crash, Bangor International Airport announced its closure, with emergency crews responding and officials urging the public to avoid the area.
Audio recordings from air traffic control, reported by CBS News, captured discussions concerning poor visibility just minutes before the crash, although it remains unclear which aircraft were involved in those communications.
Shortly thereafter, air traffic controllers reported a passenger aircraft upside down as images from the scene showed smoke and flames on the runway.
This disruption occurred against a backdrop of widespread travel chaos due to the winter storm, which led to the cancellation of more than 11,000 flights and nearly 5,500 delays across the US on Sunday, as tracked by FlightAware.
Airports in Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey were among those severely impacted.
The National Weather Service forecasts between 10 and 16 inches (25-40 cm) of snow may accumulate in parts of Maine, including Bangor, by Tuesday morning.
