Private jet crashes at Maine airport, 8 people on board

"The airport is closed and we ask that the public avoid the area," the City of Bangor and Bangor International Airport said

Published: January 26, 2026 8:35am

A private jet crashed at Bangor International Airport in Maine, with eight people on board.

The Federal Aviation Administration posted on X on Sunday night, "A Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed as it was taking off from Bangor International Airport in Maine around 7:45 p.m local time on Sunday, Jan. 25. Eight people were on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate."

"The airport is closed and we ask that the public avoid the area. There have been flight cancellations and passengers are encouraged to contact their airlines for information regarding impacts to their travel plans," the city of Bangor and the Bangor airport said in a statement Sunday.

“First responders are still on the scene and are expected to be actively working the site for several more hours before any additional information is available,” the statement later reads, adding that an update will be emailed by 8 a.m. Monday.

The jet is registered to a limited liability corporation in Houston, according to federal records, CNN reported.

The crash occurred as a massive snowstorm has been making its way through the Northeast, with temperatures well below freezing in Maine, and light snow causing very low visibility.

Minutes before the crash, air traffic controllers and pilots at Bangor airport can be heard talking about low visibility and deicing, according to audio obtained from LiveATC.net.

According to audio, a controller clears the pilot for takeoff on Bangor’s Runway 33. Just moments later, another controller is heard saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.”

The airport is then closed, and emergency vehicles drove onto the airfield.

Later, a controller said they are aware of “three crew and possibly five passengers” on board.

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