PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board arrived Tuesday to begin investigations at a Maine airport where a business jet crashed during takeoff, killing all six people on board.

The Paris-bound Bombardier Challenger 600 flipped over and burned on takeoff at Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m. Sunday night as the nation’s massive winter storm was beginning to reach the area. It remains unclear if weather or cold played a role in the crash as investigators just begin their work.

Experts suggest that weather conditions and questions about ice accumulation on the wings keeping the plane from getting airborne will be initial focal points for the NTSB. The agency will investigate all possible factors.

The FAA released an updated accident statement on Tuesday, confirming the six people who died included four passengers and two crew members, stating the plane “crashed under unknown circumstances on departure, came to rest inverted and caught fire.”

The crash victims include a pilot and an event planner

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Maine is working with law enforcement to confirm the identities of the casualties. Among the victims was Shawna Collins, 53, a longtime employee of Lakewood Church in Houston, who was confirmed deceased by the church. She oversaw our customer service department. Everybody loved her, spokesperson Donald Iloff Jr. stated.

Collins’ social media highlights her role in organizing events in destinations such as Italy and Hawaii for clients like Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, which is associated with the plane's registration. Collins was also planning her daughter’s wedding for this year.

A relative of the pilot, identified as Jacob Hosmer, 47, reported that he was a licensed flight instructor and managing member of Platinum Skies Aviation LLC, incorporated in Texas in late 2024.

The airport in Bangor, approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston, is frequently used to refuel private jets before they fly overseas to Europe. The Bombardier was destined for France when the tragic event occurred.

The NTSB plans to provide updates, including a preliminary report on the incident in about a month while the final version could take more than a year to be published.

History of icing problems with these planes

The Bombardier Challenger 600 has a documented history of icing issues during takeoff, which have led to past crashes in Birmingham, England, and Montrose, Colorado, over two decades ago. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti indicated that even minor ice on wings could significantly impair performance and called for meticulous de-icing inspections before takeoff.

Given the weather conditions and this aircraft's known icing contamination history, I suspect the NTSB will investigate this aspect immediately, Guzzetti concluded.