need to know
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The first victims of the fatal plane crash at Bangor International Airport have been identified as pilot Jacob Hosmer, attorney Tara Arnold and event planner Shauna Collins
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“I thought he was a great pilot, a loving husband and a wonderful father,” one of Hosmer’s friends said.
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The Federal Aviation Administration previously confirmed that a Bombardier Challenger 650 crashed during takeoff on Sunday, January 25
The first victims of a deadly plane crash in Maine have been identified.
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) obtained by PEOPLE, a Bombardier Challenger 650 crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport at approximately 7:45 pm local time on Sunday, January 25.
According to the latest FAA accident notice, six people were killed in the crash. Four of the deceased were passengers and the other two on board were crew members. No one survived. (The FAA said in its initial notification that seven people died and one survivor was seriously injured.)
Shauna Collins/Instagram; Jacob Hosmer/Facebook; Arnold & Itkin LLP
A press release issued by the airport on Monday, January 26, stated, “According to the flight manifest, there were six people on the flight. No one was sent to the hospital during the incident, and it is presumed that everyone on board died. At present, the identities of the people on the flight have not been made public and need to be confirmed.”
Jacob Hosmer was the captain of the flight, NBC affiliate KPRC reported. The 47-year-old Houston-area pilot was identified as one of the victims of the crash by his father, Gary.
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“He’s in heaven with Jesus now,” Gary told the outlet.
“I would describe him as a great pilot, a loving husband and a wonderful father,” said an aviation expert friend who knew Hosmer for 15 years, adding, “He was always friendly. He was always smiling.”
According to Reuters, the plane involved in the crash arrived from Texas. It is registered in Houston at an address it shares with personal injury law firm Arnold & Itkin.
As of May 2025, Hosmer lists Houston-based injury law firm Arnold & Itkin LLP as his employer on LinkedIn.
Multiple sources told ABC affiliate KTRK that the company’s founders, Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, were not on the plane.
However, sources told the outlet that Coulter’s wife, attorney Tara Arnold, reportedly died in the accident.
Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, a close friend of the family, told the outlet, “I am a good friend of Kurt and Tara Arnold and we are still waiting for more information. Unfortunately, the plane crashed in Maine on Sunday night and my heart aches for them, their children and their family.”
As of Tuesday, January 27, Arnold & Itkin had not issued a formal statement regarding the accident.
“She was an extraordinary person, a bold leader, and someone with a heart for service,” Briones said of Tara, KTRK reported. “She was actively involved with Precinct 4 and our nonprofit Precinct 4 Forward. My heart goes out to Kurt, their children, and everyone affected.”
The daughter of event planner Shawna Collins said she was also on the plane, the outlet reported. Collins reportedly discussed the business trip with his daughter before a flight to Europe.
The Bangor Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request Tuesday, Jan. 27, to identify the victim.
In a recording of an air traffic controller conversation after the crash, one said: “The plane is upside down. We have an upside down passenger plane.”
Airport director Jose Saavedra said first responders arrived on the scene less than a minute after the conversation about the inverted plane, the Associated Press reported.
The plane caught fire after the crash, according to the FAA. The exact circumstances of the crash remain unclear.
The airport was being affected by Winter Storm Fern, and there was snow at the time of the crash, CBS affiliate KHOU and Reuters reported.
Read the original article on People
