Families break silence after Maine private jet tragedy at Bangor International Airport, revealing final messages, unfinished dreams, and six lives lost in seconds that changed everything forever
Family and friends are mourning after six people were killed when a private business jet bound for France crashed during takeoff from Bangor International Airport in Maine Sunday night, erupting into flames and leaving no survivors.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the jet flipped and caught fire during departure at about 7:45 p.m. during Winter Storm Fern.
Right before takeoff, someone was heard on the flight radio saying, “Let there be light,” the New York Post reported.
BUSINESS JET CRASHES AT MAINE AIRPORT LEAVING ALL PASSENGERS PRESUMED DEAD AS WINTER STORM PUMMELS US
Multiple emergency crews rushed to the accident, and controllers were heard saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.”
FAA officials have not yet released the cause of the crash, citing “unknown circumstances” on departure. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified and will investigate.
Tara and Kurt Arnold in a photograph posted on social media. Tara was reportedly killed in a plane crash in Bangor, Maine, Sunday. (Kurt Arnold/Facebook)
The jet was registered to a partner of personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers in Houston.
Sources told local news station ABC13 Tara Arnold, an attorney at the firm and wife of founding partner Kurt Arnold, was aboard the doomed flight.
The Louisiana native was a 46-year-old mother of two, according to the firm’s website.
Kurt Arnold, who has won more than $20 billion in verdicts and settlements for his clients, and his business partner, Jason Itkin, were reportedly not on the flight.
Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jacob Hosmer, a man identified as a victim in a fatal plane crash in Maine. (Jacob Hosmer/Facebook)
The pilot, Jacob Hosmer, 47, also perished in the crash, his father, Gary, told KPRC2.
Fellow aviator Bob Howie shared a photo of Hosmer on Facebook, describing him as a “very good friend.”
“I’m on the right, but, on the left, is my very good friend Jacob Hosmer who was pilot-in-command last night when his Challenger 650 crashed on takeoff from Bangor, Maine,” Howie wrote in a post. “I knew Jake’s co-pilot equally well and had flown with him too. God bless, you guys! Godspeed and fair winds, fellas. Loved sharing the skies with y’all. Big loss.”
Hosmer’s cousin, David Lopez Jr., also took to social media following the tragedy, calling him “a role model.”
“It’s surreal to think my cousin Jacob is no longer with us. He was the light of the room and his big smile was infectious,” Lopez wrote on Facebook. “I don’t know that I ever told him, but he was a role model to me and will be forever missed. Please pray for the entire Hosmer family during these difficult times.”
Hosmer, an experienced pilot, started working for Arnold and Itkin in May 2025, according to his LinkedIn account.
Shawna Collins was identified by family members as one of the victims of a fatal plane crash in Maine. (Shawna Collins/Instagram)
A third victim was identified as Shawna Collins, according to ABC13.
Collins’ daughter reportedly told the outlet her mother, an event planner, was traveling to Europe for a business trip.
The identities of the six people killed on the flight have not yet been confirmed by authorities.
The airport canceled or diverted flights after the crash and remained closed on Monday, according to a statement posted on the Bangor Maine Police Department Facebook page.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg, Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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