A Houston attorney has been identified as one of the victims Sunday night after a private jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine, according to a Harris County official.

Tara Arnold, an attorney with the Houston-based law firm Arnold & Itkin of which her husband is a founding partner, was among those killed in the crash, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said Monday.

Briones described the incident as “a tragedy” while speaking at a Monday news conference alongside Houston Mayor John Whitmire.

“We’re still waiting on additional information, but unfortunately the plane went down yesterday evening in Maine,” Briones said.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a private jet registered to a Houston-based company overturned on the runway Sunday evening at Bangor International Airport during takeoff, prompting a federal investigation.

Unverified Air Traffic Control Audio Circulates Online

According to an air traffic control recording cited in a social media post by an aviation-focused account, a voice was heard over radio communications moments before the crash saying, “Let there be light.” The post said it was unclear whether the remark was made by a pilot or an air traffic controller, or what the statement was referring to.

The same post said other radio chatter included discussion of low visibility and removing ice from the aircraft prior to takeoff. Shortly after the crash, air traffic controllers were heard saying, “All traffic is stopped on the field,” followed by, “Aircraft upside down.”

Federal aviation authorities have not commented publicly on the recording or the source of the statement.

Aircraft And Investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration has identified the aircraft as a Bombardier Challenger business jet. FAA registration records list the aircraft as registered to a Houston-based limited liability company with an address associated with the Arnold & Itkin law firm. Authorities have not confirmed ownership of the aircraft or who was aboard at the time of the crash.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board said the cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Officials have not released a final count of fatalities or identified all victims.

Community Response

Briones, who previously worked at Arnold & Itkin, said Arnold was active in the Houston community and served on the board of Precinct4Forward, a nonprofit affiliated with Harris County Precinct 4. “She’s just a phenomenal person, a bold leader, and somebody who had a heart of service,” Briones said. “My heart and my prayers are with Kurt and their children and all of the affected families.”

Arnold & Itkin was founded by Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin and focuses on maritime, energy, and catastrophic injury cases, according to the firm’s website.

According to her professional biography, Tara Arnold earned her law degree from Tulane University Law School and previously worked in the Houston office of a New York-based law firm before joining Arnold & Itkin, where she handled commercial and business dispute matters.

As of Monday evening, Maine officials had not publicly released the names of all victims involved in the crash. A representative for the law firm previously declined to comment.

The FAA and the NTSB said the investigation remains ongoing.