HOUSTON – Multiple people have been reported dead after a plane connected to a Houston law firm crashed in Maine while taking off from the airport on Sunday.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, seven passengers were killed and one flight crew member was seriously injured in the crash in Bangor, Maine.
The area of the plane crash was facing inclement weather due to a widespread winter storm.
Maine plane crash
What we know:
According to the Associated Press, the aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 600, crashed around 7:45 p.m. ET as it took off at Bangor International Airport in Maine.Â
Air traffic control radio reviewed by FOX 26 reveals the tail number for the plane was N10KJ. The aircraft bearing that number matches the model released by the FAA.
The plane was also recorded as leaving Houston on Sunday evening and landing in Bangor. Reports say the plane attempted to take off less than two hours later.
In the same recording that revealed the tail number, reports can be heard saying a passenger airplane was upside down on the runway. Shortly after, the airport shut down traffic.
The FAA reports the plane had caught on fire after it turned upside down.
The N10KJ plane is registered to KTKJ Challenger, LLC and the address linked to that tail number is that of Arnold & Itkin, a Houston law firm.
According to AP, the Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-bodied business jet configured for nine to 11 passengers. It was launched in 1980 as the first private jet with a “walk-about cabin” and remains a popular charter option, according to aircharterservice.com.
What we don’t know:
Some reports saythat the firm is the owner of the craft, but it has not been independently confirmed that this is true, or whether any of their staff were involved in the crash.
The identities of those on the plane have not been released.
What’s next:
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The Source: Information gathered by Federal Aviation Administration, the Associated Press, FlightAware, LiveATC.net, and ADS-B Exchange.