The cook was traveling on a Paris-bound flight when the jet flipped during takeoff and erupted into flames, officials saidCredit: AP
The family of a Hawaiian chef and father of three has confirmed he was the fourth person identified among the six people killed in a private jet crash at Bangor International Airport in Maine. Loved ones say the loss of Nick Mastrascusa, a rising star in luxury hospitality, has ripped a hole through both his tight-knit family and the far-flung culinary community he helped build. As investigators work through the wreckage, relatives and colleagues are trying to hold on to the details of a life that felt very much in motion.
The crash, which killed everyone on board, has drawn attention not only because of the high-profile passengers but also because of the way it linked communities from Maine to Houston and Hawaii. For the families, though, the story is less about geography and more about the sudden silence where a familiar voice used to be.
The crash in Bangor and a jet full of connections
Authorities say the business jet went down at Bangor International in Maine during takeoff, killing six people in total. Video and local coverage describe the aircraft flipping as it tried to leave the runway, a violent end that left first responders and airport workers facing a scene that was both technically complex and emotionally raw. A broadcast on a local station referred to the site as the Bangor Bangor airport in Maine the, underscoring how quickly the location itself has become shorthand for the tragedy in the region’s daily conversation.
Officials have said the jet was registered to a firm tied to Houston, a detail that helps explain why passengers on board had links to both New England and Texas. Reporting on the crash notes that the aircraft was associated with a Houston law firm, with Houston based travelers among those killed. A separate segment on Maine the crash emphasized that six people died when their plane went down, a simple count that has become the most painful number for the families now waiting on official updates.
Nick Mastrascusa’s path from Hawaii kitchens to a Maine runway
Father of Three Identified as Fourth Victim in Maine Plane Crash That Killed SixFamily members have identified the fourth victim as Nick Mastrascusa, a chef whose career had taken him from Hawaii’s resort scene to the cabins of private jets. Relatives say Nick was a father of three young children and that he is survived by his wife and their three children, a detail shared in a family statement. Friends describe him as the kind of parent who built his schedule around school pickups and bedtime stories, even while juggling the demands of high-end hospitality.
Nick’s professional life was rooted in the islands, where he built a reputation as a top Hawaiian chef with a knack for pairing ambitious menus with a relaxed sense of place. Coverage of his career notes that his work included leadership roles at Discovery Land properties such as the Kūkiʻo Golf and Beach Club on Hawaii’s Big Island, where His work included running three restaurants at the Golf and Beach Club on the Big Island of Hawaii. A separate profile described him as a top Hawaiian chef and dad of three young children, a line that has now been repeated in tributes and in coverage By Zoe Hussain, with the age detail 56 appearing in the same context even as relatives focus less on numbers and more on memories.
Families, faith communities, and a luxury travel firm in mourning
Nick was not the only person on board whose name carried weight in their own circles. Reporting from Maine has identified Tara Arnold, listed as Beyond’s CEO, as one of the passengers killed in Sunday’s crash, tying the flight to the luxury travel company Beyond. The same reporting notes that Kurt Arnold was not on the plane, a small mercy for a family now navigating both personal grief and the shockwaves running through their business. For clients and staff, the crash has turned a brand associated with seamless getaways into the center of a very public loss.
Another victim has been identified as a member of Lakewood Church, the Houston megachurch whose congregants often span multiple states. Local coverage in Texas reported that one of the passengers was a Lakewood Church member, a detail that has turned prayer circles in Houston into another front line of mourning. That same report, By Terrian Spurs and Ronnie, underlined how the Maine crash has pulled in communities far from New England, with vigils and social media tributes crossing state lines as easily as the jet once did.
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