A young patient from Mexico, who had received “life-saving treatment” in the US, was on board a small medevac jet that crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday evening. The girl, who was accompanied by her mother, a doctor, and others, was heading back to Tijuana after undergoing treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia. The Learjet 55 crashed shortly after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, killing everyone on board.
The crash caused a massive explosion and set several homes and cars ablaze in the residential neighborhood. Witnesses described the scene as “Earthquakish” and said the sky lit up with a massive blast. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
The young patient, who was being transported back to Mexico, had received treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was on her way home when the crash occurred. The hospital confirmed that the patient and her mother were among the victims.
The crash comes just days after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight over Washington, DC, killing all 67 people on board both aircraft. It is the deadliest aviation crash on US soil since 2001.