A pilot and father has been identified as the final of the six occupants killed when a private jet crashed and burst into flames during a snowstorm in Maine last month.
Jorden Reidel, 33, was co-piloting the Bombardier Challenger 600 owned by a Texas law firm with his captain, Jacob Hosmer, when it flipped over in a fiery wreck during takeoff from Bangor International Airport on Jan. 25.
Reidel’s identity was formally released by the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Tuesday alongside those of three other victims: Houston lawyer Tara Arnold, 46; sommelier Shelby Kuyawa, 34; and Hosmer, 47.
Event planner Shawna Collins, 53, and chef Nick Mastrascusa, 43, have also been identified as victims of the crash by their families.
The six were onboard the plane owned by the Houston-based lawfirm Arnold & Itkin for business trip to Paris.
Reidel, from Conroe, Texas, began his aviation career in high school and earned his private pilot license in 2010 at the age of 17, according to his obituary.
He graduated with an associate of applied science degree in aeronautical technology from San Jacinto College in 2012, before receiving his airline transport pilot license in 2015.
“With his passion and strong work ethics, Jorden always strived toward advancing his training and received his helicopter rotorcraft rating in 2023. With his airline and helicopter licenses thus achieving his dream to be able to fly the open skies,” his obituary said.
Reide married his wife, Jennifer, in April 2022. The couple welcomed their daughter, Kelsey, in 2024.
The young pilot — who was also a talented BMX bike rider, golfer, and boater — shared several pictures on Facebook of himself flashing a wide grin in the cockpit.
The Paris-bound private jet crashed as it was taking off from a refueling stop at Bangor International Airport amid a powerful snowstorm.
The six people aboard the jet were flying to scope out the next travel destination for high-net-worth clients of the concierge service “Beyond,” founded by Tara and Kurt Arnold.
Kurt, a partner at the law firm that owned the plane, was not onboard while his wife Tara tragically died in the wreck.
The cause of the crash has not been determined, but experts say the NTSB will likely focus on the winter storm conditions and whether ice accumulating on the aircraft’s wings stopped the plane from taking off.
Reidel is survived by his wife, young daughter, mother, father, two sisters, grandmother, in-laws, and “many other relatives and friends.” He is preceded in death by “his best canine companion, Dozer,” according to his obituary.
With Post wires
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