Bodies of victims in a horror private jet crash are still lying among the wreckage on a snowy runway two days after it flipped over on takeoff.

The Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet crashed during takeoff from Bangor International Airport in Maine about 7:45pm on Sunday.

Four passengers and two crew, including Tara Arnold, the wife of a prominent lawyer, superstar event planner Shawna Collins, and chef Nick Mastrascusa, were all killed.

Their bodies have not been touched since and remain in the twisted and charred metal as crash investigators struggle to reach the the frozen runway.

'The National Transportation Safety Board has asked that the scene be preserved,' police said on Tuesday.

'At this time, the Bangor Police Department is awaiting NTSB’s approval to access the aircraft to begin the process of caring for and identifying the deceased in collaboration with the State Medical Examiner.'

Top lawyer and team identified in tragedy 

Bangor Police confirmed to the Daily Mail that the bodies were still in the wreckage and could be for as long as a few more days.

The NTSB said a few investigators reached the site by Tuesday afternoon, but a full team wouldn't arrive until at least Wednesday.

Northeast Maine was walloped by Winter Storm Fern along with 34 states across the US, making access to the site difficult.

Dramatic footage showed the burning wreckage of the plane upside down on the runway. Flight data showed it veered right during takeoff and flipped at 175mph. 

The medical examiner will work to formally identify the bodies, the names of whom will be released by Bangor Police.

Four of the victims have been identified by their families - Arnold, 46, Collins, 39, Mastrascusa, 43, and experienced pilot Jacob Hosmer, 47, as of Tuesday evening.

The other two - the second pilot and a female passenger believed to be a friend of Arnold - are yet to be publicly named.

Arnold was a top commercial lawyer at her husband Kurt Arnold's law firm Arnold & Itkin, which she joined soon after it was founded in 2004.

From Houston to Paris 

She and Kurt lived in an $11 million mansion in Houston with their two children, Jaxon and Isla.

Collins was a friend of Arnold and planned events for the firm through her company. Her social media pages includes numerous photos with Arnold and her husband. 

She was organizing her daughter Keaton Milburn's upcoming wedding after she got engaged to Brandon Dawkins, a sports marketing staffer at Adidas.

Mastrascusa was the executive chef at Kukio Golf and Beach Club in Kamuela, Hawaii, which its website explained had an 'island fresh cuisine theme'.

The plane left Houston earlier on Sunday, landing at 6.09pm and taking off at 7.44pm after refueling for its journey across the Atlantic for the foursome's trip to Paris.

Arnold & Itkin, to which the downed plane was registered, is known for defending undocumented migrants.

A page talking up the firm's expertise in aviation accident litigation was quietly removed from its website after the crash. 

The firm confirmed to the Daily Mail neither Kurt Arnold nor the other named partner Jason Itkin were on the plane. 

How Arnold’s upbringing shaped her legal crusade 

Arnold earned her law degree from Tulane University in Louisiana, near the small town in Sabine Parish where she grew up.

Inspired by her mother, a personal injury attorney for victims of crime, she wrote on her company profile that she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age.

'When someone hires a lawyer to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit, it represents years of a person's life, their family's future, and the power to make a living for the rest of his or her life. It's my business to protect those things,' she wrote. 

Arnold graduated magna cum laude and began her career at the Houston office of a large New York City law firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions.

While in Houston she met Kurt and joined his firm.

Her company profile described how she was passionate about helping victims of accidents on offshore oil platforms.

A loss for the forty acres 

'During her free time, Tara loves to travel to new places and enjoys being active outdoors,' her bio read. 

Arnold's mother Karen and brother Sam declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail. 

The Arnolds were noted philanthropists, particularly to Kurt's alma mater, the University of Texas. 

They, along with Jason and his wife Kisha, have donated more than $40 million to the university's athletics programs.

Harris County Precinct Four Commissioner Lesley Briones paid tribute to Tara, with whom she was a close friend along with Kurt.

'My heart hurts for them and their children and their families. I worked at Arnold & Itkin for a time and so I know them well,' she said.

'This is just a tragedy and in particular Tara, she is just a phenomenal person, a bold leader and somebody who had a heart of service.' 

Supporting the Mastrascusas 

Collins' daughter said she had spoken to her mother ahead of the flight on Sunday and Collins was excited about the upcoming business trip to Europe.

Mastrascusa's sister Valeria appealed for donations to pay for his funeral and support his wife Natalia and their three children Analani, 14, Mateo, 10, and Noah 7.

'Nick touched the lives of so many in our community through his kindness, dedication, generosity and friendship,' she wrote.

'As we grieve this unimaginable loss, our hearts are with the Mastrascusa family and all who knew and loved Nick. 

'We are coming together to support Natalia and the children during this unthinkable time, helping to provide for their immediate needs and future as they navigate life without Nick.'

One of Hosmer's friends also said he knew him for 15 years as an aviation specialist.

'I would describe him as a great pilot, a loving husband and a phenomenal father,' they. 'He was always kind. He was always laughing.' 

Hosmer's LinkedIn profile lists Arnold & Itkin LLP as his employer since May 2025. 

Audio from the aircraft's radio recording, heard by the Daily Mail, included a voice saying 'let there be light' minutes before the crash.

45 seconds to disaster 

It was unclear whether the eerie line was spoken by one of the pilots or an air-traffic controller, or what they were referring to.

They may have been commenting on how Bangor's Runway 33 went from pitch-black to brightly lit after the runway lighting was switched on.

Doorcam video captured a loud bang when the plane crashed, but not the plane itself.

Other radio chatter included the pilots and air traffic control discussing low visibility in the winter storm and removing ice from the plane before takeoff.

Less than two minutes after the tower cleared the plane for takeoff, they shouted, 'All traffic is stopped on the field! All traffic is stopped on the field!'

Minutes later, another controller said: 'Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.'

A witness claimed the plane lifted off the runway but then crashed back onto it and 'exploded'.

Photos showed the destroyed aircraft smashed and flipped over on the runway with black smoke filling the air.

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Private jet carrying eight crashes upon takeoff at Maine airport 

A private jet carrying eight passengers crashed while taking off from Maine's Bangor airport (BGR) on Sunday night. 

The extent of the injuries of those on board remains unclear after the incident at around 7.45pm local time.

It came as a massive winter storm continued to batter the US, bringing heavy snowfall and blistering temperatures. 

A source familiar with the situation told CNN that a Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet was involved in the crash. 

Travelers have been advised to avoid the airport. 

First responders were on the scene and had 'assessed the situation,' a spokesman for BGR said. 

A photo from the scene captured the destroyed aircraft smashed and flipped over on the runway. 

Another depicted black smoke filling the air shortly after the crash. 

A spokesman for the small airport in Penobscot County did not provide the Daily Mail with any further information. 

They confirmed that the site was closed. 

Maine State Police are said to be helping Bangor police handle the situation. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. 

There has been widespread travel chaos across the US due to Winter Storm Fern.

Temperatures in Maine are below freezing and snowfall has been causing poor visibility.

FAA weather cameras captured the clouded conditions at BGR around the time of the incident. 

Bangor has been slammed with snow accumulation ranging from six to ten inches, according to AccuWeather. 

Carry on reading about the Maine private jet crash here: 

The wife of a prominent lawyer was one of six killed in a horror private jet crash 

The wife of a prominent lawyer was one of six killed in a horror private jet crash on a snowy airport runway. 

Tara Arnold (pictured left), 46, wife of personal injury attorney Kurt Arnold, died along with several of her friends on a girls' trip to Paris. 

Event planner Shawna Collins was also killed in the tragedy, ABC 13 reports. 

Her daughter said she had spoken to her mother ahead of the flight on Sunday and Collins was excited about the upcoming business trip to Europe. 

Also killed was Jacob Hosmer, 47, the Houston-area pilot of the private jet, according to Click 2 Houston. 

His LinkedIn profile lists Arnold's husband's law firm, Arnold & Itkin LLP as his employer since May 2025. 

One of Hosmer's friends also said he knew him for 15 years as an aviation specialist. 

'I would describe him as a great pilot, a loving husband and a phenomenal father,' the friend said. 

'He was always kind. He was always laughing.' 

The identities of other victims are yet to be released. 

The Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet went down during takeoff from Bangor International Airport in Maine about 7.45pm on Sunday. 

Dramatic footage showed the burning wreckage of the plane upside-down on the runway. Flight data showed it veered right during takeoff and flipped at 175mph. 

The FAA earlier on Monday incorrectly said there were eight people on board including one crew member who survived. 

Tara, a commercial lawyer with decades of experience, worked at Arnold & Itkin since it was established in 2005. 

She and Kurt live in an $11 million mansion in Houston with their two children, Jaxon and Isla. 

The top Houston firm, to which the downed plane was registered, is known for defending undocumented migrants. 

A page talking up the firm's expertise in aviation accident litigation was quietly removed from its website after the crash. 

Tara and her friends flew in from Houston on Sunday, landing at 6.09pm, for refueling and ice removal before heading across the Atlantic Ocean. 

She earned her law degree from Tulane University in Louisiana, near the small town in Sabine Parish where she grew up. 

Inspired by her mother, a personal injury attorney for victims of crime, she wrote on her company profile that she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age. 

'When someone hires a lawyer to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit, it represents years of a person's life, their family's future, and the power to make a living for the rest of his or her life. It's my business to protect those things,' she wrote. 

Tara graduated magna cum laude and began her career at the Houston office of a large New York City law firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. 

While in Houston she met Kurt, and joined his firm. 

Her company profile described how she was passionate about helping victims of accidents on offshore oil platforms. 

'During her free time, Tara loves to travel to new places and enjoys being active outdoors,' her bio read. 

Tara's mother Karen and brother Sam declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail. 

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