7 dead, 1 injured in private jet crash in Bangor, Maine

7 dead, 1 injured in private jet crash in Bangor, Maine

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

Mon, January 26, 2026 at 4:49 PM UTC

3 min read

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

Seven people are dead and one person was seriously injured after a private jet crashed while taking off from an airport in northern Maine over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.

The fiery crash took place at 7:45 p.m. local time on Jan. 25 as the aircraft departed from Bangor International Airport, the FAA said. Officials did not immediately confirm the identities of the deceased and injured.

But according to a preliminary FAA report reviewed by USA TODAY, the injured individual was a member of the flight crew. The remaining seven people who died were listed as passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft "crashed under unknown circumstances on departure, came to rest inverted and caught on fire." Federal investigators had been unable to reach the site of the crash as the region faces heavy snow and ice from a winter storm sweeping the region.

It could be at least another day until teams arrive on scene to investigate, National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick told USA TODAY on Jan. 26. The airport is in the city of Bangor, about 130 miles northeast of Portland.

"We probably wouldn’t not have reached the site by Monday morning even if there hadn’t been snow due to the location of our investigators assigned to the case," Sulick said. "But the weather is adding additional time to our expected arrival."

Few other details have been released about the crash, including where the plane was traveling. Here's what we know so far.

Bangor International Airport remains closed

Jose Saavedra, the airport's director, told reporters during a Jan. 26 news conference that the facility will remained closed until further notice.

He said first responders, including the Bangor Fire Department, were on scene in under a minute after the crash. Saavedra would not say where the plane was going or who was on board.

“We are waiting for guidance and support from our federal partners before we can make any additional statements to not interfere with their investigation," Saavedra said.

He did tell reporters that shortly before the incident, planes had been landing and taking off at the airport.

“We appreciate your understanding and patience regarding the incident and ask you to continue to respect the privacy of those involved,” Saavedra said.

Where was the plane going?

It was not immediately clear where the plane was going. But data from the aviation-tracking website FlightRadar24 posted on X showed that the aircraft arrived from Houston.

Who was on board the plane that crashed?

The FAA reported eight people were on board the aircraft when it crashed. Officials did not immediately confirm their identities.

What else do we know about the plane?

The aircraft's registered owner shares a Houston address with Arnold & Itkin, a personal injury law firm. FAA records show the aircraft went into service in April 2020.

Who is investigating the plane crash?

In addition to the FAA and NTSB, Maine State Police are assisting local authorities with the investigation.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 7 dead, 1 injured in private jet crash in Bangor, Maine

About Our Ads

Source