A business jet carrying eight people crashed during takeoff in Bangor, Maine, on Sunday night, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The conditions of the eight were not immediately clear. They were in a twin-jet Bombardier Challenger 600 when it took off from Bangor International Airport about 7:45 p.m., the FAA said in a statement.
Police responded to the location after a report of an aircraft “that had gone off the runway during departure,” Bangor Police Sgt. Jeremy Brock told NBC affiliate WCSH of Portland, Maine. He said he could not provide information on the extent of any injuries.
The temperature was about 2 degrees, with a windchill of minus 13 and light snow around the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were out of the northeast at about 10 mph, data from the service showed.
Bangor was under a winter storm warning Sunday. “Certainly, the weather is challenging,” Brock said.
The sergeant said more information on the crash may be forthcoming Monday morning.
The airport was closed after the incident, an airport spokesperson said in a phone call.
In a Facebook post, people were told to avoid the airport. “First responders are on scene and assessing the situation,” the airport said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash, the FAA said.
Joe Kottke, Anna Sundberg and Jay Blackman contributed.
