A private jet registered to a company associated with prominent US trial attorney Jason Itkin crashed during take-off at Bangor International Airport in the
state of Maine on Sunday night, according to federal aviation officials. The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 600 carrying eight people, went down at about 19:45 local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. Seven people were killed in the crash, while one person remains seriously injured. Public aircraft registration records link the jet to interests connected to Itkin, a Texas-based plaintiff attorney and co-founder of the national litigation firm Arnold & Itkin. Authorities have not said who was on board the aircraft, nor whether Itkin had any connection to the flight. Claims circulated on social media that Tara Arnold, a senior attorney at the Houston-based personal injury law firm Arnold & Itkin, was on the plane. Some posts also claimed that she died in the crash. Officials have not confirmed these claims. The FAA said it is investigating the incident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The crash occurred as a major winter storm affected New England and large parts of the US. Bangor was at the middle of a snowstorm at the time of the accident. Itkin is known for high-profile litigation involving catastrophic injuries, workplace and industrial accidents, defective products, maritime claims and wrongful death cases. His firm has secured several large verdicts and settlements nationwide. The Itkin family has also been involved in supporting religious, community and educational institutions in the Houston area, according to community sources. Jason Itkin and his wife, Kisha Itkin, have been publicly associated with Holocaust remembrance and education efforts, including serving as event chairs for the 25th anniversary of Holocaust Museum Houston. Public donor listings also show support for institutions such as Yad Vashem, Israel’s World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Officials have not indicated whether any members of the Itkin family were among the passengers. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
