The darkness over Maine swallowed a private jet whole on Sunday evening, moments after it lifted from Bangor International Airport. A sudden, violent roll, then flames – a tragedy unfolding under the cloak of a winter storm. Six lives were lost, dreams extinguished in an instant.
Among those on board was Tara Arnold, a 46-year-old commercial lawyer with a fierce dedication to her clients. She wasn’t just fighting cases; she was protecting futures, as she once wrote, safeguarding “years of a person’s life, their family’s future, and the power to make a living.” Tara, a wife and mother of two, was headed to Paris for a long-awaited holiday with friends.
Her journey began in Houston, a successful landing in Maine for refueling before the ill-fated takeoff. The aircraft, registered to her husband Kurt Arnold’s law firm, succumbed to the elements and something more, tumbling from the sky as air traffic controllers uttered the chilling words: “Aircraft upside down.”
Tara’s ambition had been ignited by her mother, a guiding force who instilled in her a lifelong desire to practice law. She built a life around that passion, a life now tragically cut short, leaving behind a void in the hearts of those who knew her. Texas politician Lesley Briones remembered her as a “phenomenal person, a bold leader, and someone with a heart of service.”
The pilot, Jacob Hosmer, also perished in the crash. A relatively new member of the Arnold & Itkin Law team, having joined just a year prior, he was remembered by his father as being “in Heaven now with Jesus.” Friends described him as a loving husband and father, a man defined by kindness and laughter.
Shawna Collins, an event planner with a vibrant spirit, was also among the passengers. She was traveling to Europe on business, her own journey ending abruptly. Those who knew her spoke of a warm, generous soul, a life brimming with potential.
Initial reports indicated eight people were on board, but the final count revealed four passengers and two crew. The cause of the crash remains a mystery, an investigation underway to unravel the sequence of events that led to this devastating loss. Bangor International Airport remains closed, flights disrupted, as the community grapples with the aftermath.
The storm that raged that night mirrored the grief now settling over families and friends, a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the suddenness with which it can be taken. Six individuals, each with their own stories, their own dreams, lost in a moment of unimaginable tragedy.
