The cause of the plane crash in Maine that killed 7 people has been determined; it’s horrific

A Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed during takeoff Sunday at the Bangor airport, officials said. A crew member survived but was seriously injured.

Many bright lights are in the background from emergency vehicles. Snow in the air makes it hard to see, and in the foreground is a snowy field.
Emergency vehicles on the scene of a plane crash on Sunday night at the Bangor airport in Maine.Credit…3315Aviation, via Storyful

A private jet crashed on Sunday evening at Bangor International Airport in Maine, killing all seven passengers and seriously injuring the plane’s eighth occupant, a crew member, the authorities said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600, crashed as it was taking off from the airport around 7:45 p.m., as a winter storm as bringing heavy snow and wind across the East Coast. The agency said that, based on preliminary information, the plane crashed on departure, “came to rest inverted and caught on fire.”

At a news conference at Bangor International Airport on Monday morning, the airport director, Jose Saavedra, said emergency workers were on the scene in less than a minute. The Maine Air National Guard responded with fire and rescue vehicles, and firefighters from Bangor and about 10 other municipalities also responded, he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said that a team of investigators was on its way to the scene on Monday and that it would not have further updates until after they arrive in Maine, where a winter storm warning was in effect. “Due to the weather, it is difficult to predict when that will be, but we expect it will be in the next day or two,” the N.T.S.B. said.

The airport remained closed on Monday as emergency crews worked at the crash scene. The airport said on social media that it was expected to remain closed until at least Tuesday afternoon.

Victor Mather, who has been a reporter and editor at The Times for 25 years, covers sports and breaking news.