The wife of a top Texas law firm partner, a seasoned event planner, and a pilot who had joined the company less than a year ago were among the six people killed when a private jet flipped and erupted into flames at a Maine airport over the weekend — moments after a chilling radio transmission crackled through the air: 'Let there be light.'
Tara Arnold — a formidable 46-year-old attorney who lived with her two children and ultra-wealthy husband in a sprawling Houston mansion — was headed to Paris when the plane went down Sunday evening, killing everyone on board, according to records and reports.
Tara Arnold was among those killed when a private plane registered to her husband Kurt Arnold’s powerhouse personal injury firm, Arnold & Itkin Law, crashed Sunday evening in Bangor, Maine. Arnold & Itkin LLP
The aircraft was registered to the successful personal injury firm Arnold & Itkin Law, owned by Tara’s husband, Kurt Arnold — the same firm where she also worked.
Kurt Arnold and his business partner, Jason Itkin, were not aboard the plane when it went down, sources told ABC13.
Kurt’s wife, however, was among the passengers on the doomed aircraft, the sources said.
Local Texas lawmaker Lesley Briones praised Tara on Monday — but later acknowledged she did not have firsthand confirmation that Tara was among those killed in the plane crash.
The twin-engine Bombardier Challenger 600 was attempting to take off from a snow-covered runway at Bangor International Airport when it crashed and erupted into flames, killing everyone on board, officials said. @Turbinetraveler/X
“I am close friends with Kurt and Tara Arnold,” Briones reportedly said.
“She is a phenomenal person, a bold leader, and someone with a heart of service,” Briones said.
Jacob Hosmer, a 47-year-old pilot from the Houston area and the captain of the flight, also died in the crash, his father confirmed to KPRC2.
“He’s in Heaven now with Jesus,” Gary Hosmer, his grieving father, told the outlet.
Hosmer had been flying for Arnold & Itkin since May 2025. Before that, he held positions with Wing Aviation, Apollo Aviation, and Priester Aviation — all companies known for operating private charter jets, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Jacob Hosmer, a 47-year-old pilot from the Houston area and the flight’s captain, also perished in the crash. LinkedIn
Hosmer had been serving as a pilot for Arnold & Itkin since May 2025. LinkedIn
Friends remembered Hosmer as a devoted and compassionate father and husband.
“I would describe him as a great pilot, a loving husband, and a phenomenal father,” a longtime friend told the outlet.
“He was always kind. He was always laughing.”
ABC13 identified a third victim as event planner Shawna Collins.
Collins’ daughter confirmed her mother’s death to the outlet, saying the passengers had been traveling to Europe on a business trip.
The third victim has been identified as event planner Shawna Collins. Instagram / Shawna Collins
The plane — a twin-engine Bombardier Challenger 600 that can seat up to 11 people — was attempting to take off from a snow-covered runway at Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m. when it crashed back onto the runway and erupted into flames, killing everyone on board, officials said.
Moments before takeoff, an eerie voice came over the flight’s radio, saying, “Let there be light,” though its meaning remains unclear.
"All traffic is stopped on the field!" an air traffic controller shouted urgently.
"Aircraft upside down, we have a passenger aircraft upside down," a controller added as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
Arnold belonged to a prominent Texas family known for making multimillion-dollar contributions to Republican causes across the Lone Star State, as well as to the Texas Longhorns football program. LinkedIn
The crash happened amid Winter Storm Fern, which was pounding Maine and sweeping across much of the East Coast. FAA
Kurt Arnold and his law partner Jason Itkin — along with their wives — were known for making multimillion-dollar donations to Republican causes across Texas, as well as to initiatives like the Texas Longhorns football program, to which they pledged $40 million.
Tara, a Louisiana native, worked at the firm specializing in offshore workplace injuries, having graduated with high honors from Tulane Law School.
She lived with her husband and children in an $11 million Houston mansion.
The ill-fated jet had touched down in Bangor around 6 p.m. for what appeared to be a refueling stop after departing Houston, and was attempting to take off again through the blizzard en route to Paris when the tragedy struck, KHOU reported.
The Arnolds pictured with their children. KNOWAutism Foundation
Kurt and Tara Arnold with Kisha and Jason Itkin. Kurt and Jason are the co-founders of Arnold & Itkin Law Firm. Arnold & Itkin LLP
Arnold & Itkin Law has not released any public statements about the tragedy and did not respond to FaqInsurances' requests for comment.
It’s still unclear what, if any, role Winter Storm Fern may have played in the crash.
Several other planes had taken off before the crash, while the airport was also busy de-icing aircraft waiting on the tarmac — though it remains unclear whether the doomed jet had undergone those procedures.
Bombardier Challenger 600s have a history of takeoff challenges in cold-weather conditions, with even small amounts of ice known to affect performance, according to aviation consultant Jeff Guzzetti.
“Given the weather conditions at the time and the history of wind contamination with this particular aircraft, I’m sure that’s something the NTSB is going to look into immediately,” he said.
“If there was any kind of precipitation at all, freezing precipitation, they would have needed to clean off those wings before they took off,” Guzzetti added.
The crash forced the airport to close, and it isn’t expected to reopen until Wednesday.
