PORTLAND, Maine — As snow from a massive storm began to fall in Bangor, Maine, on Sunday night, six people who had stopped to refuel a Paris-bound luxury jet prepared for takeoff. None would survive the crash that followed, the cause of which remains unknown.
A departing plane ahead of them radioed to the tower that visibility wasn’t great and they chose not to fly, but the winds were relatively mild and the snow, powdery and fine in the near-zero temperatures, had accumulated only a dusting. Airport officials say the plane went through the standard de-icing process and got in line with other jets that took off safely.
The plane, however, crashed during takeoff, leaving the jet burning and inverted on the tarmac, killing everyone on board. Among them a corporate pilot who was recently hired at the Texas law firm linked to the plane, and an event planner who had worked with the firm on previous occasions.
Lakewood Church in Houston, run by Joel Osteen Ministries, confirmed on Tuesday that longtime employee Shawna Collins, 53, was among those killed. Collins’ social media posts show her work organizing parties and events in Italy, Hawaii and elsewhere, for clients that included Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, the Houston law firm whose co-founder is listed on the plane’s registration.
“Everybody loved her. She just had that kind of personality,” church spokesperson Donald Iloff Jr. told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Victims include a pilot new to firm, a mom planning a wedding
The family of pilot Jacob Hosmer, 47, confirmed his death on Tuesday but declined to comment. Hosmer started working for Arnold and Itkin seven months ago as a “team captain,” according to his LinkedIn page. He had been a licensed flight instructor and the managing member of Platinum Skies Aviation LLC, incorporated in Texas in late 2024, online records show.
A founding partner of the firm is listed as the agent for the company that owns the plane. The personal injury firm — whose partners are major donors to the University of Texas football and other causes — has so far declined to identify the passengers or comment on the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday began its investigation while Bangor International Airport remained closed to preserve the scene where the two crew and four passengers aboard the plane died in the Sunday evening crash.
Collins, who was married with children and grandchildren, had also been helping plan her daughter’s wedding set for this year, Iloff said.
“She was very good at it. Everybody wanted her to plan her events for them,” he said.
The church, in a statement, called Collins “a light that brightened our days."
NTSB begins investigation into crash
The Bombardier Challenger 600 flipped over and burned on takeoff at around 7:45 p.m. after stopping along its journey from Houston to Paris to refuel. It remained unclear on Tuesday if the weather or cold played a role in the crash as investigators were just beginning their work.
Bangor police were waiting for the NTSB to allow them to access the plane to identify the victims and, with the state coroner's office, care for their bodies.
Dozens of scheduled flights had been impacted, the airport said.
The FAA, in an updated accident statement on Tuesday, said the plane “crashed under unknown circumstances on departure, came to rest inverted and caught on fire.”
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. The Bombardier was headed for France when it crashed.
NTSB officials said they would have an update on Wednesday. A preliminary report outlining the facts of the crash should be released in about a month, but the final version likely won't be published for more than a year.
Jet’s icing problems revealed after two crashes 20 years ago
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.
Experts say the weather and questions about whether ice accumulating on the wings kept the plane from getting airborne — as has happened at least twice before on that plane model — will likely be an initial focus by the NTSB. However, the agency will consider all possible factors.
“Nothing is off the table,” said John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 model crashed in Birmingham, England; and Montrose, Colorado, more than 20 years ago, aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said.
“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.
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Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska and Dale reported from Philadelphia.