A CHILLING message was heard from the cockpit of a plane moments before it crashed – killing all six people onboard.
The private jet was taking off from Maine’s Bangor International Airport when it crashed as heavy snowfall battered the region.
Minutes before the deadly smash, the words “let there be light” could be heard on the aircraft radio.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 plummeted to the ground shortly after takeoff from the busy airport on Sunday night.
All six people onboard the jet died, Bangor International Airport confirmed on Monday, updating previous reports which claimed that seven passengers had died and one had been injured.
The creepy audio, obtained by the Daily Mail, does not make clear who delivered the ominous line.
It could have been a comment on the runway lighting up by the pilot or by an air-traffic controller.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene after the crash was reported at around 7.45pm, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The aircraft was engulfed by fire after the crash, a government official briefed on the incident said.
Images from the scene show several emergency vehicles at the airport as smoke rises from the crash.
The airport was closed to allow emergency workers to assess the wreckage.
In a post on social media, Bangor International Airport said: “An incident at the airport is under investigation.
“First responders are on the scene assessing the situation. Please avoid the airport.”
A powerful storm swept much of the eastern half of the US over the weekend.
Maine has been hit by sleet, freezing rain and snow as Winter Storm Fern spread throughout the state on Sunday.
Chilling audio, obtained by CNN, reveals pilots and air traffic controllers discussing low visibility moments before take-off.
A controller clears the pilot for takeoff on runway 33.
Less than two minutes later, a controller can be heard saying: “All traffic is stopped on the field! All traffic is stopped on the field!”
Suddenly another controller says: “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down.”
Later in the audio, a controller states they are aware of “three crew and possibly five passengers” on board.
The jet that crashed is registered to a Houston-based law firm, according to federal registration records.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said on X that it was monitoring reports of an aircraft crash at Bangor.
It added that available data suggests the jet was preparing to take off after landing from Houston.
Bangor International Airport offers direct flights to cities like Orlando, Florida, Washington, DC, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
It is located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston.
It comes as more than 235 million Americans are under a state of emergency after Winter Storm Fern claimed the lives of at least 12 people across seven states.
The once-in-a-generation storm has smashed temperature records, with heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain as officials issue a tornado warning.
The monster storm that rolled in on Friday and is due to last until Monday, has sent temperatures plummeting as low as -43 degrees with extreme cold warnings rolled out across almost 40 states.
Air and road traffic has been heavily disrupted whilst hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast have lost power.
Officials confirmed the first fatalities on Saturday when the bodies of three people were found on the streets of New York City as a result of the biting cold.
