Joel Osteen’s prominent megachurch in Texas is mourning the loss of a staff member who tragically died when a private jet flipped over at an airport in Maine on Sunday.

Shawna Collins, aged 39, was a dedicated employee at Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, and she unfortunately lost her life in the crash, along with three other passengers and two crew members aboard the flight.

“With profound sadness, we confirm that Shawna Collins, a beloved member of our church staff and a cherished friend, was aboard the plane that crashed in Maine on Sunday evening,” stated a church spokesperson to the Christian Post.

“Shawna was a radiant presence, uplifting everyone she encountered with her beautiful spirit. We dearly loved Shawna and will miss her more than words can convey.”

“Our heartfelt prayers go out to her entire family, and we extend our love and support to them during this challenging time.”

The spokesperson further noted that Collins “was traveling for personal business unrelated to Lakewood.”

Collins’ sister, Stefanee Tolbert, previously told KPLC that she was a devout Christian.

‘More than anything, she loved Jesus and loved people – serving others came so naturally to her, and was truly who she was at her core.’

Shawna Collins, 39, was killed when a private jet overturned in Maine Sunday night

She was an employee at Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Houston (pictured)

The Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 650 overturned at 175mph during takeoff and burst into flames at around 7.45pm amid a major snowstorm

Along with Collins, the crash took the lives of top lawyer Tara Arnold, 46, chef Nick Mastrascusa, 43, wine expert Shelby Kuyawa, 34, and pilot Jacob Hosmer, 47.

Hosmer’s co-pilot on the flight destined for Paris has not yet been identified. 

The Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 650 that the victims were traveling on had stopped at Bangor International Airport in Maine to refuel during light snow, mild winds and near zero temperatures as Winter Storm Fern made its way across the country.

It then overturned at 175mph during takeoff and burst into flames at around 7.45pm.

An investigation into the crash was hindered by the heavy snow totals in Northeast Maine, which received about 9.5 inches during Sunday’s storm.

Finally on Wednesday, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the scene and started digging the wreckage out of the ice and snow.

Then, on Thursday morning, the Maine Office of Chief Medical Examiner announced that the victims had finally been extracted and formal identification of the remains was underway. 

At the same time, NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration officials recovered the cockpit voice and data recorders for analysis. 

As they now work to determine what may have caused the private jet to overturn, airport officials are facing questions about air traffic controllers’ decision to let it takeoff amid fears that the jet may have overbalanced due to a buildup of ice on its wings. 

The crash also killed private chef Nick Mastrascusa, 43, (center), who was on a location scouting trip for luxury travel company Beyond, started by powerful lawyers Kurt and Tara Arnold (pictured with Mastrascusa)

Shelby Kuyawa, 34, successful wine expert, was also killed in the crash

The victims’ bodies were finally removed from the wreckage on Thursday

Moments before the private jet tried taking off, pilots on other planes expressed concern about the inclement weather.

One was an Allegiant Air Boeing 737 Max headed for St Petersburg in Florida that aborted its takeoff after manually checking its wings for ice.

‘One, our deice fluid has failed, and two, I don’t think the visibility is good enough for us to go, so we’re going to have to taxi back to the gate here,’ the pilot told air traffic control of its reasons for aborting.

The pilots confirmed to the tower that ice was found just minutes after anti-ice was applied, and the light, powdery snow was sticking to the plane.

‘I don’t know what blew over the end of the runway, but the visibility dropped and it stuck to us like there’s nothing there,’ one of them said.

A Breeze Airways plane’s pilots responded that they ‘might end up staying the night’ after encountering the same problems.

‘Yeah, my guys are trying to make us go, but I keep telling them this is stupid,’ they said.

Jacob Hosmer, 47, the pilot of the private jet, was another victim

It is unclear whether Hosmer, and is co-pilot who is yet to be publicly named, would have been able to hear this conversation.

Just two minutes later, the Challenger jet reported it was ready for departure. Ten minutes later the horrified Breeze and Allegiant crews watched it crash.

But at a news conference on Wednesday, Bangor International Airport Director Jose Saavedra downplayed the risks.

‘There were planes landing and departing around that time and we had crews on-site responding to storms that we had,’ he said, adding that the airport is prepared ‘for this on a regular basis,’ as severe weather ‘is normal for us.’

The private jet was owned by powerful law firm Arnold & Itkin, which is known for defending undocumented migrants.

It was flying to Paris for a location scouting trip for Arnold and her husband Kurt’s luxury travel venture, Beyond. 

The company provides invitation-only curated travel experiences for the extremely wealthy, including stays at five-star resorts and exotic culinary adventures.

Mastrascusa and Kuyawa joined Beyond after leaving Kukio Golf and Beach Club in Kamuela, described as Hawaii’s most exclusive resort, late last year.

The Arnolds scooped them up to play key roles in the new venture with Mastrascusa appointed executive vice president of hospitality and charged with designing the culinary adventures that would set the company apart.

Tara Arnold, 46, wife of personal injury attorney Kurt Arnold, died in the crash. The couple are pictured with their children Jaxon and Isla

Arnold was a top commercial lawyer at her husband Kurt Arnold’s law firm Arnold & Itkin, which she joined soon after it was founded in 2004.

Arnold was a top commercial lawyer at Arnold & Itkin, which she joined soon after it was founded in 2004. 

She and Kurt lived in an $11 million mansion in Houston with their two children, Jaxon and Isla.

Collins was a friend of Arnold and planned events for the firm through her company. Her social media pages includes numerous photos with Arnold and her husband. 

She was organizing her daughter Keaton Milburn’s upcoming wedding after she got engaged to Brandon Dawkins, a sports marketing staffer at Adidas.

Collins was listed as the ‘luxury event designer and experience curator’ on Beyond’s website and would be essential to scout the locations on the trip.

Following the crash, a page talking up Arnold & Itkin’s expertise in aviation accident litigation was quietly removed from its website.