One Person Killed in Air Ambulance Crash in Philadelphia
A tragic accident occurred on Friday night when an air ambulance carrying six people crashed near a mall in northeast Philadelphia. The incident resulted in multiple fatalities, including one person who was in a car in the area.
The air ambulance, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, was traveling from Northeast Philadelphia Airport to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when it crashed around 6:30 pm. The flight had departed from Florida earlier in the day.
According to officials, the passengers on board included the pilot, copilot, patient, patient’s mother, paramedic, and physician. It is unclear whether anyone on board survived the crash.
In addition to the fatalities, 19 people on the ground were injured, with several dwellings and vehicles impacted by the crash. The injured victims are being treated in area hospitals.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the cause of the crash. Preliminary reports indicate that the flight made a sudden descent before crashing, but officials have not yet determined what may have caused the pilot to take the aircraft down.
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that all six people on board were Mexican nationals. The Consulate of Mexico is providing consular assistance to the families of the victims.
The NTSB is still searching for debris and the cockpit voice recorder, or black box, which is crucial to understanding the cause of the crash. The agency is also welcoming witness videos and is investigating the crash scene.
This tragic incident comes just days after a devastating midair collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. that resulted in the deaths of 67 people.