Private jet carrying 8 passengers crashes during takeoff at Maine airport (Picture credit: X)

A private aircraft carrying eight people crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in the US state of Maine on Sunday night, prompting an emergency response and an investigation by federal authorities. The Bombardier Challenger 600 went down around 7:45 pm local time while departing the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. There was no immediate information on injuries or fatalities among those on board, according to news agency AP.The crash occurred as a powerful winter storm battered large parts of the United States, disrupting air travel nationwide. Bangor airport was closed following the incident, with emergency crews deployed at the scene, airport officials said.The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

What we know about the aircraft and crash

The aircraft involved was a Bombardier Challenger 600, a wide-bodied business jet typically configured to carry nine to 11 passengers. Authorities said the jet crashed while taking off, but did not provide details on what went wrong.Emergency responders rushed to the airport after the incident, and residents were advised to stay away from the area. “We are unable to provide any additional information at this time,” airport spokesperson Aimee Thibodeau said in a statement cited by news agency AFP.

Severe winter storm disrupts air travel

The crash came as New England and much of the eastern United States faced a massive winter storm that brought heavy snowfall, freezing rain and sleet, severely affecting air and road traffic. Bangor experienced steady snowfall on Sunday.Across the country, commercial aviation was heavily disrupted. Nearly 12,000 flights were cancelled and about 20,000 delayed on Sunday alone, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Major airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina were among those affected.

Airport operations and investigation underway

Bangor International Airport, located about 200 miles north of Boston and offering direct flights to cities such as Orlando, Washington DC and Charlotte, remained closed as emergency crews responded to what the airport described as an incident involving a single departing aircraft.Federal investigators are now examining whether weather conditions, technical issues or other factors played a role in the crash. The FAA said the inquiry would be led jointly with the NTSB.The winter storm that swept across much of the US over the weekend halted travel, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and brought dangerously low temperatures in several states. President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for multiple states as conditions worsened.