Philly plane crash: 7 dead, including 6 aboard medical flight; 22 others injured

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials say a total of seven people have died and at least 19 people are injured after a medical transport plane carrying a pediatric patient, her mother, and four crew members crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood Friday night. 

The crash erupted into a fireball and engulfed nearby homes and cars in flames. 

The NTSB is conducting further investigation.

What we know:

The crash happened along Cottman Avenue near Bustleton Avenue and the Roosevelt Mall shortly after 6 p.m. Friday.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced Saturday that all six aboard the child patient's flight were killed. 

The Mayor also said a person who was in a vehicle near the crash, was pronounced dead. 

Officials say at least 22 people are being treated for their injuries.

They say debris from the crash spans about 4–6 blocks.

"This is a tragedy in our city – people have lost their lives and many injured in this horrific crash and the damage is significant," said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. "Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash.  We are unified in our approach – a One Philly philosophy with all hands-on deck. I am so grateful for the rapid response by our Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments, our Office of Emergency Management and Philadelphia Gas Works with federal, state, and local first responders who swarmed the scene in collaboration with all first responders on the ground."

In a Saturday evening update, officials with the NTSB provided a brief amount of information, stating the flight climbed to about 1,500 feet, made a slight right turn, then left turn, then went into a steep descent, before making a high impact crash.

They added the plane is highly fragmented and the debris field is four or five blocks.

Medical flight: What we know about victims onboard

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance confirmed that the flight was carrying six people, including a pediatric patient, her mother, and four crew members, 

Shai Gold, a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance spokesperson, says the child had been treated for a life-threatening condition and was being transported home to Mexico. The flight’s final destination was Tijuana after a stop in Missouri.

The plane was registered in Mexico. Jet Rescue is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in the U.S.

Shriner's Children's Hospital in Philadelphia confirmed that they had treated the patient and that she was heading back to her home country. 

"Our hearts go out to the families of the medical crew and pilots who were also lost in this tragic event - as well as all of the people who were affected on the ground - and we're thankful to the first responders for their quick action," the hospital said in a statement. 

The crash happened less than 3 miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.

The plane, a 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. 

With a remarkable discovery Sunday, NTSB investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 55 that crashed. The CVR was located at the site of initial impact, at a depth of 8 feet. 

NTSB investigators say they also recovered the airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which could also contain flight data.

What we don't know:

The total extent of the damage also remains unclear, as officials have not said how many homes, cars, or business were impacted. 

Officials have also not said how many people had been displaced or evacuated from their homes following the crash.

NTSB officials asked the public to not touch anything that may be from the plane.

During the press briefing, a reporter asked whether there appeared to be any signs of distress while the plane was still on the ground or whether the tower noticed anything out of the ordinary and the reply was no, that all appeared to be normal.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Whether or not weather conditions played a role remains to be seen. FOX 29's Drew Anderson says ice would most likely not have been a factor due to the plane's altitude at the time of the crash.

When the plane took off, the pilots did have to deal with some rain and may have experienced some white-out conditions from low cloud coverage.

Trump, Shapiro react

What they're saying:

President Donald Trump released a statement on Truth Social, stating "innocent lives lost."

"So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all."

Vice President J.D. Vance also sent his thoughts and prayers in a post on social media.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro responded to the scene and spoke alongside Mayor Parker during a press briefing. 

"What you’re seeing here is a unified response to an awful aviation disaster. For as awful as that aviation disaster was… Tonight we also saw the best of Philly. We saw neighbor helping neighbor. We saw Pennsylvanians looking out for one another."

During the briefing, Parker also urged anyone who may be in the area not to touch any debris they see from the crash. Instead, debris discoveries should be called in to 9-1-1. 

Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang and his house shook. He said it felt like a mini earthquake and when he checked his home security camera footage, he said it looked like a missile was coming down.

"There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second," he said.

Video shows object fall from sky, fireball on Cottman Ave

Videos of crash emerge:

A doorbell camera captured footage of the plane plunging in a streak of white and exploding as it hit the ground near a shopping mall and major roadway. 

Multiple videos with angles from doorbell cameras also picked of the audio of neighbors and witness screaming as they looked on. 

FOX 29's Steve Keeley reported stepping over debris as he responded to the scene, including what appeared to be air tanks. Keeley also spoke with witnesses inside a diner who reported having seen a patron struck by debris that had flown in through the window.

Other bystanders shared video showing debris, some still on fire, strewn along nearby parking lots, roadways, and yards.

As the scene at the site of the crash began to clear, several burnt out cars were observed in the roadway. 

Dig deeper:

The crash came just 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 in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.

Aviation attorney reacts

What they're saying:

Aviation attorney, John Gagliano, joined Good Day Philadelphia Weekend Saturday morning to address the crash.

What's next:

The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. 

The NTSB, FBI and FAA arrived on scene overnight Saturday.

The NTSB, as well as city officials, are pleading with the public do not touch anything that might look like it is part of the plane. Instead, NTSB officials said if the public finds anything, please email them at witness@ntsb.gov.

What you can do:

If you or a loved one needs help, reach out to the Red Cross' free 24/7 multilingual Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for support.

The Red Cross offers the following coping tips:

• Events like this can cause feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. Remember that it's okay to feel nervous or drained.
• Be patient with yourself and those around you. People may need some time to put their feelings and thoughts in order.
• Stay informed but limit your exposure to the sights and sounds of the event, especially on television, radio and through newspapers.
• Stay connected with family and friends. Giving and getting support is one of the most important things you can do.
• It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or numb. Set priorities for yourself and break tasks into small steps that are easier to tackle.
• Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Eat healthy, drink water and get enough rest.

The Disaster Distress (DDH) Helpline, at 1-800-985-5990, can also provide immediate counseling to anyone affected by the aviation disaster in Philadelphia.

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