A private jet carrying eight people has crashed while taking off from Bangor International Airport in the US state of Maine, aviation authorities have reported.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 went down at around 19:45 local time (00:45 GMT on Monday), but the fate and identities of those on board remain unclear.
The incident came as a dangerous winter storm swept across a large part of the US, resulting in several fatalities and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Pilots at Bangor Airport were reportedly struggling with visibility before the crash.
Bangor is currently under a winter storm warning, with heavy snow forecast through Tuesday.
Following the incident, Bangor International Airport announced its closure and stated that emergency crews are on the scene, urging the public to avoid the area.
Audio captured from air traffic control minutes prior to the crash indicated discussions about poor visibility. Shortly after, a controller reported a passenger aircraft upside down. Images from the scene captured smoke and flames billowing from the runway.
This disruption adds to widespread travel chaos due to the storm, which has led to over 11,000 flight cancellations and nearly 5,500 delays across the US on Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Key airports in cities like Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York suffered significant impact.
The National Weather Service has predicted between 10 and 16 inches (25 to 40 cm) of snow to accumulate in parts of Maine, including Bangor, by Tuesday morning.
