The wreckage of a fatal plane crash was still on the ground at the Bangor airport Wednesday afternoon — nearly 72 hours after the disaster claimed six lives.
The upside down business jet was still coated in snow and frozen fire fighting foam on Wednesday morning, Bangor Daily News reporters saw. The wreck is off the airport’s runway, near its northern end.
Six people are presumed dead after the jet flipped over and caught fire as it was taking off around 7:45 p.m. Sunday at the Bangor International Airport, according to Bangor police.
A massive snow storm delayed the arrival of the National Transportation Safety Board, which will investigate the cause of the fatal crash. Members of the seven-person team began arriving in Bangor on Monday, a spokesperson said. There are six members of the team in town as of Wednesday afternoon, Airport Director Jose Saavedra said.
The “extreme weather conditions” have slowed the investigation, he said.
The remains of those killed on board were still trapped in the wreckage Wednesday, Saavedra said. The medical examiner’s office and NTSB are coordinating victim recovery, a NTSB spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon.
The experts are documenting the wreckage, debris field and runway environment. The plane will eventually be moved to a secure facility for additional investigation, the spokesperson said. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered and were sent to NTSB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., where they will be examined.
At least 10 people, most wearing high visibility jackets, could be seen Wednesday morning working around the crash. The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration are in charge of the investigation.
A large enclosed tent and a semi tractor trailer with a flat bed were also spotted near the scene of the wreckage Wednesday morning.
The medical examiner’s office is working with law enforcement to confirm the identities of the people in the plane, spokesperson Lindsey Chasteen said Tuesday. The office is in charge of investigating “sudden, unexpected and violent deaths.”
The NTSB investigates plane crashes to figure out the likely cause, but does not speculate on the potential cause during the on-scene phase, a spokesperson said.
Investigators will collect a wide range of information, including recordings of air traffic control communications, weather forecasts and aircraft maintenance records, the spokesperson said.
The plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600, has a history of failing during winter weather conditions.
Five of the victims killed in the crash have been identified so far by family and friends. They include Shelby Kuyawa, Nick Mastrascusa, Tara Arnold, Shawna Collins and pilot Jacob Hosmer.
The Bangor airport is closed until at least 9 a.m. Thursday. An update on reopening is expected Wednesday evening, Saavedra said.
The airport is plowing the runway and all taxiways, to help with reopening when it is allowed, he said.