Six people aboard a private business jet registered to the same address as a prominent Houston law firm were killed on Jan. 25 when the jet crashed on takeoff in Bangor, Maine. Local officials have named all victims as of Thursday.
The plane, a 2020 Bombardier CL 600, was registered at the address of Arnold & Itkin law firm, a well-known personal injury firm co-founded by Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, both University of Texas School of Law graduates. Tara Arnold, an attorney for the firm and wife of Kurt Arnold, were among those killed, Bangor police officials said Tuesday.
In total, airport officials said there were four passengers and two crew members onboard the plane, which had arrived from Houston. The aircraft was headed for the Paris-Vatry Airport in France, but had stopped in Bangor for fuel and de-icing services. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.
The Bangor Police said in a Tuesday news release that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has identified the four victims as 46-year-old Tara Arnold, 47-year-old Jacob Hosmer of Texas, 33-year-old Jorden Reidel of Texas, and 34-year-old Shelby Kuyawa of Hawaii.
Bangor police then released the final two victims’ identities on Thursday as 53-year-old Shawna Collins of Texas and 43-year-old Nick Mastrascusa of Hawaii.
According to the law firm’s website, Tara Arnold was a Louisiana native who assisted in business cases and had a passion for helping offshore injury victims. She shared two children with her husband.
Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, who said she had worked at Arnold & Itkin and was friends with the Arnolds, discussed the crash during an unrelated news last Monday. Briones said Tara Arnold had “a heart of service” and that she was involved in community efforts in Houston through a Precinct 4-focused nonprofit.
The law firm has been a prominent donor to political campaigns through its political action committee, Texans For Truth and Liberty. Together with Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the two PACs gave $268,000 to GOP San Antonio State Rep. Marc LaHood’s campaign. LaHood helped defeat a bill that would have limited lawsuit awards. Truth and Liberty has emerged as a major donor to candidates fighting tort reform measures in the Legislature.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows posted on X that he and his wife Elisabeth were keeping all of those affected by the plane crash in their prayers. “May God bring strength, comfort, and peace to every family impacted by this heartbreaking situation,” he wrote.
State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano also posted on X.“With broken hearts we are praying hard tonight for our friends and fellow Texans affected by this tragic plane crash in Maine!”
The founding partners through their respective family foundations – the Kurt & Tara Arnold Family Foundation and the Jason & Kisha Itkin Family Foundation have pledged $40 million to UT athletics.
The investigation will focus on the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
A preliminary NTSB report which will contain information gathered during the team’s initial investigation will be available within 30 days. A probable cause of the crash along with a listing of contributing factors will be released in a final report, which normally takes up to a year or more to complete.
