PHILADELPHIA — Three individuals injured on the ground during a plane crash in a bustling Philadelphia neighborhood are currently in critical condition, as reported by Mayor Cherelle Parker on Sunday.
The mayor indicated that a total of 22 people sustained injuries from the incident, with five still hospitalized. Additionally, at least 11 residences and several businesses were seriously impacted by the crash.
Mayor Parker expressed condolences for the victims who lost their lives, stating that the city continues to grieve for them and that they remain in the community’s thoughts and prayers.
The tragic event involved an air ambulance that was en route to Mexico and plunged just moments after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, carrying six passengers, including a girl who had received months of medical treatment at a local hospital.
One fatality occurred in a vehicle as debris from the Learjet 55 impacted the area, leading to significant damage to nearby homes.
Authorities are actively investigating the crash and conducting door-to-door surveys to gather information from residents in the vicinity, as noted by Mayor Parker.
This crash occurred just two days following a devastating midair collision involving an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., which resulted in the loss of all onboard.
A busy road near the crash site remained closed on Sunday, but police announced that Roosevelt Boulevard would reopen by the morning rush hour on Monday.
The Castor Gardens neighborhood, described as a working-class area with dense row houses, is characterized by heavy traffic and a mix of commercial and residential spaces, according to state Representative Jared Solomon, a local resident.
“These are just individuals striving to assist one another,” Solomon remarked. “They are nurses, construction workers, and first responders. In a community known for its readiness to help others, we now have a unique opportunity to unite and support one another.”
The aircraft was aiming for Tijuana after a scheduled stop in Missouri and had climbed to approximately 1,500 feet before the crash occurred. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy described the accident as a “high-impact crash” that left the plane broken into numerous pieces. Efforts to collect debris from the site are ongoing, but experts warn that this may take several weeks.
The young girl had recently finished treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia for a medical condition challenging to address in Mexico. Her mother and four crew members were also among the deceased. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that all six individuals on the plane were from Mexico.
While city officials and the owner of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance have yet to release the names of the deceased, XE Médica Ambulancias, a Mexican emergency service, stated that Dr. Raúl Meza of the State of Mexico near Mexico City was one of the casualties. Family members of co-pilot Josué Juárez from Veracruz also confirmed his involvement in the flight.
Mayor Parker added that the names of all deceased victims will not be publicly disclosed until the Mexican consulate finds it appropriate to do so.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the operator of the week’s crash, is based in Mexico and also has operations in Miami. Earlier in 2023, five crew members from Jet Rescue tragically lost their lives in an incident in the central Mexican state of Morelos, where their plane overran a runway and crashed into a hillside.
Live audio captured during the event revealed an air traffic controller at Northeast Philadelphia Airport directing the departing flight, “Medevac Medservice 056,” to turn right. Approximately 30 seconds later, the controller repeated the instruction, asking if the aircraft was still on their frequency. Shortly thereafter, the controller alerted that “we have a lost aircraft” and expressed uncertainty about the situation, subsequently announcing a temporary closure of the airport.
