Investigation into Maine plane crash that killed 6 held back by snow and winter weather

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal investigation into the crash of a private jet that killed six people at Bangor International Airport has been hampered by extreme weather, the airport's director said Wednesday, including deep snow that has blanketed the scene and covered the burned wreckage.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration joined state and local authorities at the scene, and recovered the cockpit voice and data recorders for analysis. The state medical examiner’s office also was there, to remove the bodies of the victims and formally identify them. The airport will remain closed until at least 9 a.m. Thursday, director Jose Saavedra said.

The Paris-bound luxury jet had stopped to refuel amid light snow, mild winds and near-zero temperatures as a massive storm began to reach Bangor, Maine, Sunday night. Another plane had just aborted takeoff, radioing to the tower that they chose not to fly because visibility wasn’t great and they would need more deicing.

The snow would eventually accumulate to about 9.5 inches, but it was only beginning at the time of the crash.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 had gone through a standard deicing process before proceeding to the runway, Saavedra said. The airport hasn’t answered questions about exactly what time the plane was treated and how long the treatment was expected to be good for. If the calculated holdover time on a de-icing treatment expires, a pilot is expected to go back for another treatment.

Among the victims were an event planner and a corporate pilot.

Lakewood Church in Houston, run by Joel Osteen Ministries, confirmed on Tuesday that its longtime employee Shawna Collins, 53, was among those killed. She also worked for a luxury travel business led by attorney Tara Arnold, whose husband Kurt Arnold co-founded the Texas law firm linked to the plane. The family of pilot Jacob Hosmer, 47, confirmed his death but declined to comment.

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Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska and Dale reported from Philadelphia.