A medical jet crashed into a residential area in Philadelphia on Friday, killing all six people on board. The aircraft, a Learjet 55, had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and was headed to Branson, Missouri, when it went down shortly after 6:00 p.m. local time. The crash caused a massive explosion, sending debris flying into homes and vehicles in the area.
Authorities confirmed that all six victims were Mexican nationals. The passengers included a young girl who had been in the United States for medical treatment, her mother, and four crew members. Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, the hospital that treated the girl, confirmed that she was being transported back to Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash occurred.
“The patient had received care from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened,” said hospital spokesman Mel Bower.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry also released a statement, confirming that “the airline company… confirmed to the consulate that six people of Mexican nationality were traveling on the aircraft.”
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the operator of the flight, said in a statement to U.S. media that the aircraft had two passengers and four crew members on board. “At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene near Roosevelt Mall, a busy commercial area in Northeast Philadelphia. Witnesses described a terrifying scene as the jet plunged at a steep angle and burst into flames upon impact. Some said they saw body parts near the wreckage.
Philadelphia City Council member Mike Driscoll expressed concern that people on the ground might have been injured or killed. “It doesn’t look good. And it’s a sad situation here,” he told CNN.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced they would conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the tragedy on his Truth Social platform, saying he was “sad” to see “more souls lost” in Philadelphia. He praised first responders, adding, “God Bless you all.”
The crash comes just days after another deadly aviation accident in Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, a passenger jet operated by an American Airlines subsidiary collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport. The airliner, carrying 64 people, was landing when it struck the military helicopter, which was on a training mission.
Investigators have recovered the helicopter’s black box and the cockpit voice and flight data recorder from the passenger jet. NTSB official Todd Inman said they are confident the data can be fully extracted to determine the cause of the crash.
Also Read:
- FBI Agents in Trump Investigations Face Likely Dismissal
- 67 Dead as Plane and Helicopter Collide Mid-Air Near Washington
The Washington accident is the deadliest air disaster in the U.S. in nearly 25 years. Among those killed were American figure skaters and coaches, including Russian couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the 1994 world pairs title. Two Chinese citizens and a Filipino were also among the victims.
Trump commented on the Washington crash, suggesting without evidence that the military helicopter was flying too high. He also blamed former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, claiming their diversity and inclusion policies had led to unqualified aviation personnel.
Chesley Sullenberger, the retired pilot known for safely landing a US Airways flight on the Hudson River in 2009, criticized Trump’s remarks. “I’m disgusted but not surprised,” he said in an interview with MSNBC.
Aviation experts are examining whether the helicopter crew was using night-vision goggles and whether the control tower was adequately staffed at the time of the collision.
The two crashes have raised concerns about air safety in the U.S., as investigators work to determine the causes of both tragedies.