What we know about the Learjet 55 medical plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia

A Philadelphia community is still processing what happened Friday evening after a small medical jet transporting a newly-released Shriners Children’s Hospital patient, her mother and four crew members, crashed in Northeast Philadelphia. The jet was heading to Springfield, Missouri, from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport before it crashed. 

The tragedy continued on Saturday when officials said that all six passengers aboard the plane had died, along with one person who was on the ground at the time of the crash. 

Just moments after leaving the airstrip, the plane crashed into a residential neighborhood near the Roosevelt Mall at approximately 6:07 p.m., causing an explosion, setting many homes ablaze and sending debris flying blocks away. 

What led up to Philly plane crash

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the small medical jet as a Learjet 55. The aircraft was operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a Mexico-based company with divisions in Florida that specializes in flights to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. 

During a press conference on Saturday, National Transportation Safety Board officials gave insight into where the jet had been in the hours leading up to the “high-impact” crash. 

According to the NTSB, the jet had departed from a base in Florida on Friday at around noon and arrived in Northeast Philadelphia around 2:15 p.m. The jet was on the ground for a few hours before departing the runway to Springfield, Missouri, at around 6:06 p.m.

A GPS collected data indicating that the jet climbed about 1,500 feet into the air before taking a slight right turn, followed by a slight left turn, and then a steep descent where the plane crashed, officials said.

The entire flight was less than one minute. 

The chairman of the NTSB said Air Traffic Control tried communicating with the crew before the crash but never received a response. 

Over the next several days, or possibly weeks, NTSB officials said they will collect debris from the crash, load it onto a truck, move it to a secure location, and evaluate it. Officials said the plane is “highly fragmented,” and the debris field extends over four to five blocks.

The mission of the NTSB’s investigation is to uncover how and why the crash happened and prevent it from happening again. 

Two plane engines have been recovered; however, the cockpit voice recorder is still missing. The NTSB said on Saturday that the recorder could be intact but is likely damaged or fragmented. 

Anyone who comes across debris is asked to not touch it. NTSB officials said it’s dangerous and vital to their investigation. They are also asking anyone who encounters debris to email witness@ntsb.gov.

The agency is identifying the crash as an accident. 

Where did the plane crash in Philadelphia?

The medical jet crashed near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard near the Roosevelt Mall on Friday evening shortly after 6 p.m.

The crash caused an explosion and set several homes ablaze in the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood in its wake. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said all six people on the plane were killed, along with one person in a car on the ground.

“This was a medical transport plane that took off from our nearby, Northeast Philadelphia Airport, and it was only afloat for a very short period of time before something went terribly wrong,” the mayor said during a press conference Saturday.

The plane crash also knocked out power to more than 200 people. Local hospitals told CBS News Philadelphia they’ve treated more than 20 victims injured in the crash. 

“We have teams who are going literally house by house, door to door, and also our License and Inspections personnel are inspecting all of those dwellings,” said Adam Thiel, managing director of the City of Philadelphia.

“I want to offer my prayers to all of those who are impacted,” Shapiro said during a press conference. 

Officials are urging people to stay away from this area, with road closures and SEPTA detours still in effect.

Shriners Children’s Hospital patient killed in Northeast Philly crash

The president of Mexico confirmed all six people on the plane were Mexican citizens. Of the six passengers, a pediatric patient who had just finished treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital, along with her mother and four crew members, on their way back to Mexico.  

“It’s extremely hard and extremely difficult, those that were involved directly in her care were very aware that she was going to be traveling home and there had actually been a sendoff for her today,” Mel Bower, a spokesperson for the hospital, said Friday evening.

When asked if she enjoyed the end-of-treatment celebration earlier Friday, Bower said, “I’m certain that she did. Our staff — they work so hard at bringing joy and laughter and excitement into all parts of the clinical aspect. Our patients don’t look at it as going to the hospital. They go to a place where they have fun and have enjoyment.”  

Bower continued by saying the hospital community at Shriners was impacted very deeply by the crash and that their patients are their family. He added that the care the hospital provides is not just in the clinical sphere but goes beyond a personal level.