Officials Say Weather Has Hampered Crash Investigation; 4th And 5th Victim Named

The extreme weather conditions this week have caused delays and disruptions not only to air travel, but also to the investigation into the crash of a private plane Sunday night, which killed six people.

Jose Saavedra, Director of the Bangor International Airport, said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon, that members of the Bangor Police, Fire, Maine Air and Army National Guard and the Maine State Medical Examiner's office, as well as investigative teams from the FAA and the NTSB, have all been working to preserve the scene and find clues as to why the plane went down over the weekend.

Read More: Who Were The Victims Of The Bangor International Airport Crash?

Saavedra started the conference by passing along his respects to the friends and family, and all who have been affected by the crash of the Bombardier CL-600-2B16 jet bound for Paris.

He said that while some of the FAA and NTSB team have arrived in Maine already, there are more still expected to make their way into the Pine Tree State, who have been hampered by travel and weather conditions from earlier this past weekend.

Saavedra says the NTSB requested that the scene of the crash be preserved until they can conduct their investigation, which means the bodies of the deceased have remained, guarded by local authorities, on the plane since its impact on runway 33 on Sunday.

He said that local EMS determined that there were no survivors initially, and the Medical Examiner's Office is attempting to identify all the remains.

Saavedra indicated that the NTSB investigations will involve three aspects of the flight: the Pilot, the state of the aircraft, and the operating environment. While the initial report by the federal investigators, which will feature some of the details and facts regarding the crash, will be out within 30 days, it could take up to a year or two for them to officially determine the cause of the crash.

"Our goal is to provide accurate and verified information," Saavedra said when asked about the identities of the victims, declining to go on record with any names yet.

Meanwhile, he says the airport has been given the ok to start plowing some of the sections of runway, in anticipation of hopefully opening up again, soon.

They have also been coordinating with other airlines to share info about reopening, once they are given the green light to reopen.

Airport officials issued a statement Wednesday evening that the goal of reopening by 9 AM on Thursday has been pushed back, once again.

"The runway opening time has been extended to noon on Thursday. This is subject to change, and additional information will be provided as it is available."

Read More: A Look Back At Maine's Deadliest Plane Crashes In History

While many have wondered what could have caused the crash to happen in the first place, a long-time pilot with ties to Maine breaks down, based on weather, conversations released between the Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots from that night, and what he knows personally from flying in wintery weather conditions, what some of the possible causes may have been.

Airport Director Saavedra says he realized the significant impact the travel disruptions have had on those who have been stranded in Maine since the crash.

Six people passed away in the impact of Sunday's incident. New outlets in the Houston area, where the plane was registered and based, had identified 4 of those on board by mid-Wednesday morning.

46-year-old Tara Arnold, a high-profile attorney from the Houston area, Arnold & Itkin law firm, is believed to have been heading to Paris for the week, along with Houston event planner, Shawna Collins, and well-known chef Nick Mastrascusa.  Also on board was the plane's Captain, 47-year-old Jacob Hosmer, a Houston-area pilot.

By Wednesday evening, a fifth was added to that list.

According to the Daily Mail, 34-year-old wine expert Shelby Kuyawa was also on the ill-fated flight. Kyuawa and Mastrascusa were both employed by the luxury travel company "Beyond" that was started by Tara Arnold and her husband Kurt.

Her bio states that Kyuawa was a graduate of New Mexico State University, who held degrees in Hospitality Management and German. She was listed as an expert sommelier with 15 years of experience.

With the four passengers now named, and the pilot, there is only one person still unidentified, and according to the manifest, that person would have been a member of the flight crew.

We will continue to update this story as details are released.