Seven dead, 19 injured in air ambulance crash in Philadelphia, officials say
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PHILADELPHIA — Authorities sifted through burned cars and charred debris Saturday to gather clues that might explain why an air ambulance exploded into a fiery ball as it crashed to the ground in Philadelphia, leaving no survivors on board.
The small plane carrying six people, including a child who had just undergone treatment at a hospital, crashed onto a busy intersection near a mall just after takeoff from the small Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
Authorities couldn’t say why the jet crashed and Adam Thiel, the city’s managing director, said it could be days until authorities are able to confirm the number of dead and injured.
As of Saturday morning, officials confirmed seven dead — six on the jet, one person on the ground — and 19 injured.
Spokespersons for hospitals treating the injured, Temple University Hospital-Jeanes and Jefferson Health, said most of the patients they saw had been treated and released by midday Saturday, but at least three remained hospitalized.
Authorities were working to assess the damage over a large crash scene in a densely populated area, Thiel said. Teams were going house to house inspecting dwellings.
It is “entirely possible” that there will be changes to the casualty figures, Thiel said. There are “a lot of unknowns” as to who was where on the streets of the neighborhood when the plane crashed.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that all six of those on board the medical transport jet were killed and that all were from Mexico.
“I mourn the passing of six Mexicans in the aviation accident in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in constant contact with the families; I’ve asked the Foreign Affairs Secretary to support whatever is needed. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends,” she said in a statement on the social media platform X written in Spanish.
The jet was transporting a child who had just completed treatment for a life-threatening condition at Shriners Children’s Hospital. Also on the plane were her mother and four crew members. Tijuana was the flight’s final destination after a stop in Missouri.
“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,” Shriners spokesperson Mel Bower said in a statement. ”Because of patient privacy concerns, we cannot say any more about the patient and her family at this time.”
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in the U.S., operated the Learjet 55. The flight crew was seasoned and had gone through rigorous training, Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold said.
“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told the Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”
A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft.
The crash came two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors in the Washington, D.C., disaster.
The Philadelphia crash was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023, five crew members were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.
In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera captured video of the plane plunging in a streak of white and exploding as it hit the ground. “All we heard was a loud roar and didn’t know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume,” said Jim Quinn, the owner of the doorbell camera.
The crash happened less than three miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.
The Learjet 55 quickly disappeared from radar after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m. and climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet. It was registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.
Shortly after 6 p.m., audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller telling “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right when departing. About 30 seconds later it repeats the request before asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later, the controller says, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now the field is going to be closed.”
The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center in the densely populated neighborhood of Rhawnhurst.
One cellphone video taken by a witness moments after the crash showed a chaotic scene with debris scattered across the intersection. A wall of orange glowed just beyond as a plume of black smoke rose into the sky and sirens blared.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.
Sisak and Rourke write for the Associated Press. AP writers Rio Yamat, Hallie Golden and Josh Cornfield contributed to this report.
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