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 came as a dangerous winter storm barrelled across a large swathe of the US, killing several people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Pilots had reportedly been struggling with visibility at the airport prior to the crash.
Bangor remains under a winter storm warning until Tuesday, with heavy snowfall forecast.
Bangor International Airport said following the incident that it had closed and that emergency crews were responding, urging members of the public to avoid the area.
Audio from air traffic control, reported by CBS News, revealed conversations between controllers and pilots minutes before the crash concerning poor visibility, though it is unclear which aircraft were audible at that time.
Shortly afterwards, a controller was heard reporting a passenger aircraft upside down. Images from the scene depicted smoke and flames on the runway.
This tragedy occurred amid widespread travel disruption due to the storm, which has seen over 11,000 flights cancelled and nearly 5,500 delayed nationwide on Sunday, according to FlightAware. Airports including Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey were also affected.
Forecasts predict 10 to 16 inches (25-40cm) of snow could accumulate in parts of Maine, including Bangor, by Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
