Plane Crash Kills Six, Including Lakewood Church Staffer

A staffer from Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church was among six people killed in a private jet crash in Maine on Sunday. Shawna Collins, who’s being remembered as a ‘beautiful spirit’, was on the plane for personal business. The church says she ‘was a light that brightened our days’ and they’ll miss her dearly.

Crash Details

The Paris-bound Bombardier Challenger 600 had stopped to refuel in Bangor, Maine, when it flipped and caught fire during departure. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but an investigation is ongoing. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are involved, and they’ve recovered the cockpit voice and data recorders for analysis.

The plane was registered to a partner of a Houston law firm, and another passenger, Tara Arnold, was the wife of the firm’s founding partner. A Hawaiian chef, Nick Mastrascusa, was also killed in the crash. Collins was listed as the ‘luxury event designer and experience curator’ for a travel company founded by the Arnolds.

Investigation Hampered by Weather

The investigation is being slowed down by the extreme weather in Maine, with deep snow covering the crash site and burned wreckage. The airport where the crash occurred will remain closed until at least Thursday morning.