Chilling message heard from cockpit as US private jet crashes upside down and kills all aboard

A private jet has crashed in Maine, killing all six on board. On Sunday, the jet flipped upside down and crashed during take-off, in heavy snow. Now, chilling audio from the cockpit in the seconds leading up to the impact has been released.

The plane went up in flames at Bangor Airport at around 7:45pm. It was registered to one of the founding partners of a major Texas personal-injury law firm, Arnold & Itkin. The Federal Aviation Administration has said the crash took place during extreme weather conditions in Winter Storm Fern. The storm is currently travelling across the US, and is one of the most powerful storms in years.

A radio recording was taken from the flight, as it was preparing to take off, and chillingly an unidentified voice could be heard saying: “Let there be light”. It’s not entirely clear if the statement was made by a pilot, or an air traffic controller.

A clear daylight image shows the Bombardier Challenger 650 (N10KJ), which veered right on Runway 33 at about 152 knots before flipping and bursting into flames at Bangor International Airport, Maine. pic.twitter.com/LaohCC9n1i

— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) January 26, 2026

According to the NY Post, just minutes later, another voice could be heard repeatedly shouting: “All traffic is stopped on the field!”. Roughly 45 seconds after the plane was given clearance to take off, audio from air traffic controllers recorded someone saying: “Aircraft upside down, we have a passenger aircraft upside down.”

It was initially reported that seven had been onboard, with one survivor. However, a statement from the airport later clarified: “According to the flight manifest there were six people on the flight. No one from the incident was transported to the hospital, and all on the flight are presumed to be deceased.”

DEVELOPING: CHALLENGER 650 CRASHES DURING TAKEOFF IN MAINE

A Bombardier Challenger 650 private jet has crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport (BGR), Maine, with 8 people on board, according to multiple reports.

The aircraft, N10KJ (A00345), is registered to… pic.twitter.com/B9HP8KMSkS

— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) January 26, 2026

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The statement also said: “We have confirmed that multiple emergency crews responded to an aircraft accident at Bangor International Airport (BGR) Sunday night… At approximately 7:45 p.m. there were reports of an incident involving a single aircraft, identified as a Bombardier CL600, that was departing from BGR.”

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Investigators have said the plane burst into flames after take-off, and it has been noted that snowfall was heavy at the time, but other jets had taken off safely.

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