Private Jet Carrying 8 People Crashes in Flames During Takeoff at Maine Airport

A private plane carrying eight people went down in flames at a Maine airport over the weekend.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed “as it was taking off from Bangor International Airport (BIA)” around 7:45 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 25, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on X.

The FAA confirmed that eight people were on board.

“Emergency services are responding to an incident involving an aircraft at BIA that occurred at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Sunday,” the BIA said in a separate statement. “The airport is closed and we ask that the public avoid the area.”

The plane had flown into Maine from Texas. It is registered to a Houston-based law firm, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.

The registered owner is a company with a Houston address shared with the personal injury law firm Arnold & Itkin, Reuters reported.

Government officials told Reuters that there was a “significant fire after the crash.”

The incident occurred as snow began falling at the airport, amid poor weather conditions in the region, Reuters and KHOU reported. However, it’s unclear if weather played a role in the incident.

Images from the scene show the plane upside down in flames and a smoke-filled airfield where the crash took place, surrounded by emergency responders.

According to KHOU, at the time of takeoff the jet had at least a mile of visibility and there was full visibility of the runway.

“First responders are still on scene and are expected to be actively working the site for several more hours before any additional information is available,” the FAA said. “An Emergency Operations Center has been established.”

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Flight cancellations were made after the incident. “Passengers are encouraged to contact their airlines for information regarding impacts to their travel plans,” the FAA said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The incident comes as weather warnings were issued in Maine after winter storms swept across the region over the weekend — along with large parts of the rest of the country — creating “hazardous” traveling conditions, according to local station WABI.

The weather warnings are reportedly expected to continue until Tuesday, Jan. 27.

The FAA and NTSB did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment on Monday, Jan. 26.