Private jet carrying 8 people crashes at Maine airport

(CNN) — A private jet carrying eight people crashed on takeoff from Bangor, Maine, Sunday evening, according to the FAA.

The extent of their injuries was not known, a source briefed on the incident told CNN.

“First responders are still on the scene and are expected to be actively working the site for several more hours before any additional information is available,” the City of Bangor and Bangor International Airport said in a statement Sunday, without revealing the cause of the crash.

The airport told CNN emergency crews responded to an incident around 7:45 p.m. The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash, according to a statement from the FAA, and the airport remained closed overnight Sunday.

The plane is a Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet and is registered to a limited liability corporation in Houston, according to federal records.

The crash comes amid a massive snowstorm making its way through the Northeast. Temperatures were well below freezing in Maine, with light snow causing very low visibility.

Minutes before the crash, controllers and pilots at Bangor Airport can be heard talking about low visibility and deicing, though it is not immediately clear who is talking to whom, according to audio obtained from LiveATC.net.

A controller clears the pilot for takeoff on Bangor’s Runway 33.

Nearly two minutes later, a controller loudly radios: “All traffic is stopped on the field! All traffic is stopped on the field!”

Moments later, another controller is heard saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.”

The airport is then closed, and emergency vehicles are allowed to drive on the airfield.

A controller later states they are aware of “three crew and possibly five passengers” on board.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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