PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A business jet in Maine crashed Sunday night as it took off amid a blizzard that reduced visibility, killing six people.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 overturned and burst into flames on takeoff at Bangor International Airport around 7:45pm on Sunday, just as the country’s massive winter storm was beginning to hit the region.
In a recording of the air traffic controller posted by www.LiveATC.net, someone said, “The plane is upside down. We have an airliner that’s upside down.” About 45 seconds after the plane was cleared for takeoff. Airport director Jose Saavedra said first responders arrived in less than a minute.
Experts said weather and whether ice buildup on the wings prevented the plane from taking off, which has happened at least twice before, will likely be the initial focus of the National Transportation Safety Board. However, the agency will consider all possible factors.
“You can trust that the NTSB will be watching this very closely,” said John Cox, CEO of Secure Operating Systems.
The airport said Monday afternoon that there were six people on board, all of whom died, according to the flight manifest. Earlier in the day, the Federal Aviation Administration said seven people were killed and one injured, but warned the numbers could change and the agency would listen to local authorities.
The accident occurred amid heavy snowfall elsewhere, but the snow was just beginning to accumulate in Bangor. Other planes took off safely. But about half an hour before the crash, the pilot of a Florida-bound Faithful radioed the tower to abort the takeoff.
“One, our de-icing fluid has failed, and two, I don’t think the visibility is good enough for us to go, so we’re going to have to taxi back to the gate here,” the Allegiant pilot said over the radio. The controller responded that he was preparing to warn the pilot that visibility had dropped to about three-quarters of a mile.
Around the same time, the pilot of the Bombardier taxied to a de-icing table and radioed to request work on the plane’s wings and tail, according to audio posted to www.LiveATC.net. The aircraft stayed at the de-icing field for about 20 minutes and then taxied to the runway.
The history of icing problems on these aircraft
Bombardier Challenger 600 aircraft “have experienced icing issues on takeoff” and have been involved in fatal crashes in Birmingham, England; aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said such an incident occurred in Montrose, Colorado more than 20 years ago. The former federal crash investigator said even a little bit of ice on a wing can cause serious problems, so careful inspection and de-icing are critical steps before takeoff. The duration of the de-icing effect is time limited. It only lasts about 20 minutes.
The National Weather Service in Cariboo, Maine, said nearly 10 inches of snow eventually fell at the airport, but it had just begun to fall when the crash occurred. The wind speed was about 10 mph, which is not unusual. When the plane arrived in Bangor, the temperature dropped to below 3 degrees (minus 16 degrees Celsius).
Cox said the conditions would not prevent the plane from flying.
According to FlightRadar24.com, the plane that crashed had just landed in Bangor from Houston at 6:09 p.m., so it likely stayed outside in the snow for more than an hour before trying to take off again. It doesn’t take long for ice to start forming on the wings, especially if the plane is refueled with cold jet fuel stored in the wing tanks, a factor the National Transportation Safety Board has cited in previous crashes.
“Given the weather conditions and the history of wind contamination on this aircraft, I’m sure the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate this immediately,” Guzzetti said. “If there was any kind of precipitation, freezing precipitation, they would have needed to clear those wings off before takeoff.”
The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-body business jet that can accommodate 9 to 11 passengers. Launched in 1980, it was the first private jet to feature a “walking cabin,” and remains a popular charter option today, according to aircharterservice.com.
After a crash in 2002, crash investigators in the United Kingdom recommended improvements to ice detection procedures, but no major changes were made until the NTSB completed its investigation into the 2006 Colorado crash that killed NBC television executive Richard Ebersol’s son.
The FAA subsequently issued new rules making it clear to pilots and airports that even a small amount of frost on the wings could be a problem. The agency also clarified de-icing standards to ensure all frozen particles are removed from the wings and requires a combination of tactile and visual inspections.
Bombardier has also been ordered to add cold weather operating warnings to aircraft flight manuals after three accidents in Canada, in which a plane unexpectedly rolled in a manner not directed by the pilot while taking off in cold weather and icing conditions.
The aircraft manufacturer said it has delivered more than 1,000 Challenger 600s and that the aircraft is designed to be safe. Bombardier said it was deeply saddened by the accident and would work with investigators to determine what exactly happened.
The victims of the accident have not yet been formally identified.
Officials said the identities of those on board will not be released until confirmed.
The plane was registered at the same Houston address as personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, and one of the law firm’s founding partners is listed as the registered agent of the company that owns the plane.
Bangor International Airport, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston, is one of the United States’ closest airports to Europe and is frequently used to refuel private jets flying overseas. The Bombardier plane was en route to France when it crashed.
The airport was closed after the crash and will remain closed until at least Wednesday so FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators can inspect and remove the wreckage.
A preliminary report outlining the facts of the crash should be released in about a month, but a final version may not be released for more than a year.
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Larmer contributed to this report from Concord, New Hampshire; and Fink from Omaha, Nebraska.
