After weather related delays, federal investigators are now at the site of Sunday's fatal plane crash in Bangor. Those delays have prevented local authorities from recovering the bodies of the six people on board killed in the crash.
Airport director Jose Saavedra said the National Transportation Safety Board had asked that the crash scene be preserved until their arrival. That prevented local agencies from entering and recovering and identifying those killed.
But Saavedra said NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration investigators have begun working on the scene.
The NTSB said the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, and sent to Washington for examination.
Saavedra said airport officials will hold an internal briefing this evening to determine if the airport can reopen tomorrow morning.
As the investigation continues, aviation experts have raised questions about the plane's de-icing process during the snowstorm. They said the type of plane in the crash was known to have issues with ice accumulation because of its wing design.
Randy Klatt, flight safety officer with the Foundation for Aviation Safety, said the Bombardier Challenger 600 is more susceptible to ice buildup, and a small amount can greatly affect the plane's performance.
And while the fluids used in the deicing process are considered effective for a certain amount of time, Klatt said the brand of fluid, the temperature, precipitation and visibility are all factors in determining that time frame.
"And it can vary pretty greatly, from as little as a couple of minutes, less than 10, up to 45 or 50 minutes, depending on the fluid and the environmental conditions at the time,” he said.
The snowy conditions in Bangor Sunday would have reduced the time the deicing process was effective.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, but will not have a probable cause until it releases a final report in one to two years.
