PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported an “expansive” impact area following the tragic crash of a medical transportation plane in Philadelphia. Duffy, who surveyed the site alongside investigators and city officials, expressed concern regarding the challenges faced by emergency responders in a densely populated region.
The devastating incident on Friday evening resulted in the loss of all six individuals aboard the Learjet 55 air ambulance, including a young girl who was receiving treatment at a local children’s hospital. A seventh victim was a ground-based motorist who was also killed when the plane crashed.
Mayor Cherelle Parker confirmed that two additional people injured on the ground have been identified, bringing the total number of injured to 24. As of Monday, four individuals remained hospitalized, with two in critical condition.
Mayor Parker reflected on the crash, noting troubling potential outcomes had a gas line been involved. The air ambulance was transporting a patient, Valentina Guzmán Murillo, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, back to Mexico when it tragically plummeted shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
Debris from the crash ignited a fireball, scattering wreckage across the Castor Gardens neighborhood and causing extensive damage to multiple businesses and at least 11 homes. Duffy described the aircraft’s descent as occurring at a steep angle.
The cockpit voice recorder has been located approximately 8 feet below ground and will soon be analyzed in Washington, D.C. While the aircraft lacked a data recorder, investigators anticipate retrieving data from the jet’s ground proximity warning system to provide insight into the crash’s circumstances.
This accident occurred just two days after a significant air disaster in Washington, D.C., where an American Airlines jet collided midair with an Army helicopter, resulting in tragic losses.
Hospital officials reported that the young girl who perished had recently completed treatment for a serious medical condition not easily addressed in Mexico. Other victims included neonatologist Dr. Raúl Meza and copilot Josué Juárez, both from Mexico.
Audio recordings revealed air traffic control’s attempts to communicate with the medical flight, marking distressing moments leading up to the unidentified incident and leading to an immediate closure of the airfield.
