PHILADELPHIA — Following the tragic crash of a medical transport plane in Philadelphia, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the affected area as exceptionally wide-ranging after inspecting the scene alongside investigators and local officials.
Duffy expressed his concerns regarding the scale of the incident, stating, “The issues that fire and police were dealing with in such a highly populated area were significant.” The Learjet 55 air ambulance went down on Friday evening, resulting in the loss of all six individuals onboard, which included a young girl receiving treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia hospital. Additionally, a seventh victim was in a vehicle on the ground at the time of the crash.
Mayor Cherelle Parker reported that the number of injured individuals has increased, with two more people from the area receiving medical attention, bringing the total injured up to 24. Currently, four of those injured remain hospitalized, with two individuals reported to be in critical condition. Parker voiced her concerns especially after viewing footage of the incident, pondering the potential catastrophic consequences had it struck a gas line.
According to Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the ill-fated flight was returning 11-year-old Valentina Guzmán Murillo and her mother, 31-year-old Lizeth Murillo Osuna, to Mexico after Valentina had undergone critical treatment. The aircraft ascended from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and tragically plummeted just a minute post-departure. Those aboard, as identified by Jet Rescue, were Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, captain Alan Montoya Perales, copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla.
Hospital representatives highlighted that Valentina had recently completed medical treatment that was not readily available in Mexico.
The impact of the crash led to an immense fireball, scattering debris across the Castor Gardens neighborhood, which severely affected multiple businesses. Officials reported that four residences were completely destroyed, while six experienced extensive damage and eleven incurred various degrees of harm. Duffy remarked on the aircraft’s descent, noting, “It was a very steep angle at which that aircraft came down.”
The investigation has commenced with the recovery of the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder, found about 8 feet beneath the surface, which is set to be examined in Washington, D.C. Although the jet lacked a data recorder, investigators are optimistic they can extract flight data from the ground proximity warning system installed on the aircraft. Duffy explained, “This device can provide essential information such as the speed and position of the aircraft. We hope to retrieve valuable data from it.”
The Philadelphia incident occurred just two days following another significant air disaster in Washington, D.C., where an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Audio recordings captured at Northeast Philadelphia Airport revealed air traffic control communicating with “Medevac Medservice 056,” instructing the aircraft to turn right during its departure. Approximately 30 seconds later, the controller sought confirmation and, moments later, announced, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to piece it together. For now, the field is going to be closed.”
