Chapotraphouse

A private jet linked to the prominent Houston-based personal injury law firm Arnold & Itkin crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday, January 26, 2026, killing all six people on board.

The plane crashed and caught fire shortly after attempting to take off in a severe snowstorm and low visibility conditions. Air traffic control audio reportedly indicated the aircraft was upside down shortly after departure. The final destination was reportedly France.

All six people listed on the flight manifest were killed. Initial reports from the FAA were conflicting, mentioning seven deaths and one seriously injured survivor, but local officials later confirmed six fatalities with no survivors transported to the hospital.

The jet was registered to an LLC that shares a Houston address with the law firm Arnold & Itkin. The firm's founders, Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, were reportedly not on the aircraft.

Identities of the victims have not been officially released by authorities, but some have been confirmed through family members and sources:

• Tara Arnold: An attorney at the firm and wife of co-founder Kurt Arnold.

• Shawna Collins: An event planner.

• Jacob Hosmer: A Houston-area pilot, confirmed by his father to be the captain of the flight.

The law firm Arnold & Itkin has been linked to anti-ICE and anti-Trump labels primarily due to its political donations and specific legal cases involving undocumented immigrants.

The firm and its founders, Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, were major financial backers of the First Tuesday PAC during the 2024 election cycle.

This PAC ran multi-million dollar ad campaigns aimed at "Stopping MAGA Republicans" and encouraging voters to "Vote For Every Democrat".

In 2024 alone, the firm reportedly donated $300,000 to efforts focused on electing Democrats.

The firm is well-known for representing immigrants in high-profile cases. Kurt Arnold’s biography highlights that he secured the largest settlement for an undocumented worker in U.S. history.

Because of their work and their financial opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, critics and certain media outlets labeled them as "top anti-ICE / anti-Trump lawyers" following the news of the crash.