Authorities sifted through burned cars and charred debris on Saturday to gather clues that might explain why an air ambulance exploded in a fireball as it crashed to the ground in Philadelphia, leaving no survivors on board. The small plane was carrying six people, including a child who had just undergone treatment at a hospital. It crashed onto a busy intersection shortly after taking off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the crash. Adam Thiel, the city’s managing director, indicated that it could take days or longer for authorities to confirm the number of dead and injured. “The patient had received care from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened,” said Shriners spokesperson Mel Bower in a statement. “Due to patient privacy concerns, we cannot provide further details about the patient or her family at this time.”
The flight was headed for Tijuana, with a stop planned in Missouri. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, based in Mexico, operated the Learjet 55, which was registered in Mexico. Spokesperson Shai Gold stated that a seasoned crew operated the plane, and all flight crews undergo rigorous training. “When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are meticulously maintained because we understand how critical our mission is.”
This crash occurred just two days after the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided midair with an Army helicopter with three soldiers on board, resulting in no survivors.
The Philadelphia crash marks the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023, five crew members were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside. In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera recorded video of the plane streaking downwards and exploding upon impact near a shopping mall and a major roadway. “All we heard was a loud roar and didn’t know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume,” said Jim Quinn, the owner of the doorbell camera.
The crash happened less than three miles (five kilometers) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights. The Learjet 55 disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m., climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters). It was registered to a company operating under the name Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
Shortly after 6 p.m., audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller instructing “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right upon departure. About 30 seconds later, the controller repeated the request and asked, “Are you on frequency?” Minutes later, the controller said, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now, the field is going to be closed.”
Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang that shook his house. “There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second,” he recalled.
Jet Rescue, which provides global air ambulance services, previously flew baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and was involved in transporting patients critically ill with COVID-19. The FAA stated that the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. An NTSB investigator arrived on Friday, and more officials were expected to arrive on Saturday.
