Plane involved in fatal crash in Maine had history of problems

At least 6 people died in the crash of the Bombardier Challenger series aircraft

Emergency services work at the scene of the crash of a Bombardier Challenger 600 at the Bangor airport in Maine late Sunday in this image from video provided by WABI television. (WABI/The Associated Press)

The business jet that crashed Sunday evening while trying to take off in a snowstorm in Maine and killed at least a half dozen people is a plane model that has a history of problems with crashes caused by ice buildup on the wings.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 flipped over and burned on takeoff at Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m. local time Sunday night as the nation’s massive winter storm was beginning to reach the area.

The airport said Monday afternoon that there were six people aboard the flight, according to the manifest, and all of them died. Earlier in the day, the Federal Aviation Administration said seven people died and one member of the crew survived, but a spokesman said those numbers were preliminary and subject to change. No one was taken to a hospital, the airport said.

Snowfall was heavy at the time of the crash in many other parts of the country, but accumulation had just started in Bangor and other planes had been taking off safely.

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.

‘Aircraft upside down’: audio recording

An audio recording of air traffic controllers 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, Bangor airport director Jose Saavedra said.

This particular plane model “has a history of problems with icing on takeoff” that has caused previous crashes, aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said. Even a little bit of ice on the wings can cause serious problems, so this plane would have needed to be deiced before takeoff, the former federal crash investigator said.

It is not clear when or if that was done.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-bodied business jet configured for nine to 11 passengers. It was launched in 1980 — by Canadair, later acquired by Bombardier of Dorval, Que. — as the first private jet with a “walk-about cabin.”

Bangor International Airport offers direct flights to cities like Orlando, Fla., Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, N.C. It is about 320 kilometres north of Boston and about 180 kilometres west of the New Brunswick border.

Throughout the weekend, the vast storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the eastern half of the U.S., affecting air traffic.

Some 12,000 flights were cancelled Sunday and nearly 20,000 were delayed, according to the flight tracker flightaware.com.

Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey were among those impacted.