A private jet carrying eight people has crashed while taking off from Bangor International Airport in the US state of Maine, aviation authorities have said.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 went down at around 19:45 local time (00:45 GMT on Monday), the Federal Aviation Administration stated, but the fate and identities of those on board were not immediately clear.
The incident coincided with a dangerous winter storm impacting a large part of the US, which has already resulted in fatalities and left hundreds of thousands without power. Reports indicate pilots were struggling with visibility at the airport prior to the crash.
Bangor is currently under a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snowfall expected.
In response to the incident, Bangor International Airport has closed, and emergency crews are on-site, advising the public to steer clear of the area.
Audio from air traffic control captured discussions about poor visibility; moments later, a controller remarked that there was a passenger aircraft upside down on the runway. Smoke and flames were visible in images taken shortly after the crash.
This incident exacerbates a chaotic travel situation due to the storm, with over 11,000 flights canceled and nearly 5,500 delayed across various US airports on Sunday, according to FlightAware tracking.
Forecasts predict that parts of Maine, including Bangor, could see 10 to 16 inches (25-40 cm) of snow accumulate by Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
