Philadelphia Police Sift Through Debris After Air Ambulance Crash Kills Six
Authorities are investigating the cause of a crash that left six people dead after an air ambulance exploded into a fiery ball as it crashed onto a busy intersection in Philadelphia. The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, was carrying six passengers, including a child who had recently undergone treatment at a local hospital, when it crashed just after takeoff from the small Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
The crash, which occurred on Friday night, resulted in the death of all six people on board, including the child and four crew members. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the deaths, stating that the victims were all from Mexico.
Additionally, one person on the ground was killed and 19 others were injured in the crash, including those who were in a car when the plane went down. Authorities are still trying to determine the number of dead and injured, with the city’s managing director, Adam Thiel, saying it could take days to confirm the figures.
The crash is the second fatal incident for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance in 15 months, with the first occurring in 2023 when five crew members were killed in a plane that ran off a runway in Mexico. Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold stated that the aircraft was well-maintained and that all crew members undergo rigorous training.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with an investigator arriving on the scene on Friday and more officials expected to arrive on Saturday. The FAA has also sent officials to assist with the probe.
Eyewitnesses described the crash, which was captured on a doorbell camera, as a loud roar followed by a large explosion. The plane was transporting a child who had just completed treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico.
The crash comes just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation, in which an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., resulting in no survivors.
