PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — In a tragic event on Sunday evening, a business jet attempting to take off amid a snowstorm in Maine crashed, resulting in the deaths of at least six individuals. The aircraft involved, a Bombardier Challenger 600, is known for its susceptibility to crashes linked to ice accumulation on its wings.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:45 p.m. at Bangor International Airport as a significant winter storm began to sweep through the region. During takeoff, the jet overturned and caught fire, highlighting the perilous conditions pilots faced.

On Monday, airport officials confirmed that all six people listed on the flight manifest perished in the accident. Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration reported seven fatalities, with one crew member surviving, but clarified that these figures were preliminary and subject to revision. The airport also confirmed that no survivors were transported to medical facilities.

Although snow was falling heavily in various parts of the country during the crash, Bangor had only just begun to experience snowfall, and other flights had managed to depart without incident.

Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti noted that this particular aircraft model has a history of issues with ice on takeoff, which has led to past accidents. Even minimal ice buildup can pose significant threats, necessitating thorough deicing before departure. It remains uncertain whether the necessary deicing procedures were carried out in this case.

The crash victims have not been officially identified

The identities of those onboard won’t be released publicly until they can be confirmed, officials said.

The jet was registered to a corporation that shares the same address in Houston, Texas as the personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, and one of the law firm’s founding partners is listed as the registered agent for the company that owns the plane.

The international airport in Bangor, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston, is one of the closest in the U.S. to Europe and is often used to refuel private jets flying overseas.

FTA, NTSB investigators will examine the wreckage

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

No cause has been determined. The NTSB said preliminary information shows the plane crashed upon departure and experienced a post-crash fire, but that it would have no further statement until after investigators arrive in a day or two. The investigation will likely take more than a year.

An audio recording of air traffic controllers posted by www.LiveATC.net includes someone saying “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” about 45 seconds after a plane was cleared for takeoff. First responders arrived less than a minute later, airport director Jose Saavedra said.

Crash occurred as major storm hit New England

The airport’s longstanding joint use agreement with the Maine Air National Guard means “runways are ready rain or shine – or snow,” an airport website says, under the phrase: “A Little Snow Doesn’t Scare Us.”

The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine, said the airport eventually received nearly 10 inches, but the snowfall was just beginning at the time of the crash, falling light but steady and accumulating just about a tenth of an inch between midnight and 7 p.m. Sunday. The service said wind speeds were about 10 mph, which is not out of the ordinary.

Other planes had been landing and departing around the time of the crash, Saavedra said.

“We have crews on site that respond to weather storms on a regular basis,” Saavedra said. “This is normal for us to respond to weather events.”

Jet has history of problems with ice

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.

The plane had just landed at Bangor from Houston at 6:09 p.m., according to FlightRadar24.com, so it would have likely been sitting outside in the snow for more than an hour before it tried to takeoff again. And it wouldn’t have taken long for ice to start building up on the wings — particularly if the plane was refueled with cold jet fuel that’s stored in wing tanks, a factor the NTSB has cited in previous crashes.

Airport officials said planes were being deiced at the airport at the time of the crash, but it wasn’t immediately clear when or if this particular plane was treated.

“Given the weather conditions at the time, and the history of wind contamination with this particular aircraft, I’m sure that’s something the NTSB is going to look into immediately,” Guzzetti said. “If there was any kind of precipitation at all, freezing precipitation, they would have needed to clean off those wings before they took off.”

Bombardier and the FAA recommended new procedures after the previous crashes to ensure these planes’ wings are free of ice, and Guzzetti said there have not been many crashes related to this problem in the last few years. ___

Ramer contributed to this report from Concord, New Hampshire, and Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.