A PRIVATE jet carrying eight people has crashed at a busy airport in America as heavy snowfall batters the region.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 plummeted to the ground shortly after take off from Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday night.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene after the crash was reported at around 7.45pm, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
No further details have been released.
The aircraft was engulfed by fire after the crash, a government official briefed on the incident said.
Images from the scene show several emergency vehicles at the airport as smoke rises from the crash.
The airport has been closed as emergency workers to assess the wreckage.
In a post on social media, Bangor International Airport said: “An incident at the airport is under investigation. First responders are on the scene assessing the situation. Please avoid the airport.”
A powerful storm swept much of the eastern half of the US over the weekend.
Main has been hit by sleet, freezing rain and snow as Winter Storm Fern spread throughout the state on Sunday.
Chilling audio, obtained by CNN, reveals pilots and air traffic controllers discussing low visibility moments before take off.
A controller clears the pilot for take off on runway 33.
Less than two minutes later, a controller can be heard saying: “All traffic is stopped on the field! All traffic is stopped on the field!”
Another controller then says: “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.”
Later in the audio, a controller states they are aware of “three crew and possibly five passengers” on board.
The jet that crashed is registered to a Houston-based law firm, according to federal registration records.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said on X that it was monitoring reports of an aircraft crash at Bangor.
It added that available data suggests the jet was preparing to take off after landing from Houston.
It comes as more than 235 million Americans are under a state of emergency after Winter Storm Fern claimed the lives of at least 12 people across seven states.
The once-in-a-generation storm has smashed temperature records, with heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain as officials issue a tornado warning.
