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Who were Jacob Hosmer and Shawna Collins? Pilot and event planner identified as Maine plane crash victims, ‘Big loss'
Jacob Hosmer and Shawna Collins were among six people killed after a small business jet crashed at Maine's Bangor International Airport.
The attorney wife of an elite Texas law-firm partner, an event planner and a pilot were among six people killed after a small business jet crashed at Maine's Bangor International Airport on Sunday night, January 25. The plane that crashed was a Bombardier Challenger 600, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which added that it crashed as it was taking off from the airport around 7:45 pm. The FAA confirmed that eight people were on board.
KHOU reported that the jet’s flight had landed in Bangor around 6 pm for apparent refueling, after it had taken off from Houston. It was again taking off in the blizzard en route to Paris when the tragedy occurred.
While one of the victims was earlier identified as Tara Arnold, a 46-year-old powerhouse lawyer who lived with her two children and husband in a Houston mansion, two others have now been identified as Jacob Hosmer and Shawna Collins.
Who were Jacob Hosmer and Shawna Collins?
Hosmer, 47, was a Houston-area pilot who was the captain of the flight. “He’s in Heaven now with Jesus,” his grieving father, Gary Hosmer, told KPRC2.
Hosmer had been working as a pilot for Arnold and Itkin since May 2025. He previously worked with Wing Aviation, Apollo Aviation and Priester Aviation, all of which frequently run private charter jets, his LinkedIn revealed.
A longtime friend of Hosmer told the outlet, “I would describe him as a great pilot, a loving husband, and a phenomenal father. He was always kind. He was always laughing.”
Hosmer’s friend, Bob Howie, Line Captain at Wing Aviation Charter Services, shared a photo of the two of them on Facebook. He wrote, “I’m on the right, but, on the left, is my very good friend Jacob Hosmer who was pilot-in-command last night when his Challenger 650 crashed on takeoff from Bangor, Maine. I knew Jake’s co-pilot equally well and had flown with him too. God bless, you guys! Godspeed and fair winds, fellas. Loved sharing the skies with y’all. Big loss.”
Collins, an event planner, was identified as the third victim by ABC13. Her daughter confirmed her mother’s death to the outlet, adding that the passengers aboard the plane were going to Europe for a business trip.
The daughter said Collins had spoken to her on Sunday before the flight, and her mom was excited about the upcoming business trip to Europe.
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Angel Vega Padron, who worked with Collins in the past, described her as “beautiful inside and out.” She wrote on Facebook, “This is such a tragedy. I worked with Shawna during my time at Lakewood. Although we weren’t very close I admired her so very much. She was beautiful inside and out and had such a love for God, her Family and Church. It was such a pleasure to work alongside her. I’m thankful to have met such an absolute beautiful soul. My condolences to her Family and all those who were blessed to call her Friend. Prayers to all those who lost their lives during this tragic accident. May comfort beyond our understanding remind us that we will see our loved ones again in Heaven.”
Bombardier Challenger 600s have had a history of troubles during takeoff in cold-weather. Small ice accumulations often affect the craft, aviation consultant Jeff Guzzetti said, per the New York Post.
“Given the weather conditions at the time and the history of wind contamination with this particular aircraft, I’m sure that’s something the NTSB is going to look into immediately,” he said.
“If there was any kind of precipitation at all, freezing precipitation, they would have needed to clean off those wings before they took off,” Guzzetti added.
The recent crash left the airport closed. It is not expected to reopen until Wednesday, January 28.
