Feb. 1 (UPI) -- A small medevac plane with six people aboard, including a pediatric patient, crashed in Northeast Philadelphia shortly after takeoff Friday night, also killing one person person in a vehicle.
During a news conference Saturday morning, Mayor Cherelle Parker confirmed all six passengers on board the twin-engine Learjet 55 died and at least 19 others were hurt on the ground.
It was two days after the most deadly aircraft crash in 24 years about 150 miles away: 64 aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers that collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia.
"It is entirely possible there will be changes to those casualty figures," Philadelphia's managing director Adam Thiel said Saturday at a news conference. "It will likely be days or more until we are able to definitively answer the question about the number of folks who perished in this tragedy."
Thiel said the impact area is roughly four to six blocks near Roosevelt Mall.
The plane, including the child patient and her mother, two pilots and two medical personnel, crashed about 30 seconds after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:30 p.m. EST. Several homes were set on fire.
All those on the plane were from Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed those on the plane died.
"I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia," she posted on X in Spanish on Saturday. "The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families. I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends."
The plane was operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which provides medical services in North America South America and Europe. In 2023, five Jet Rescue crew members died in a crash in Mexico.
People injured on the ground were sent to Temple University Hospital-Jeanes Campus after the crash, a spokesperson from the hospital confirmed to CNN. Three patients were treated and discharged, while the three others are in "fair condition," the spokesperson said.
The jet, with the child, her mother, two pilots and two medical personnel, was on the way to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri en route to its final destination of Tijuana, Mexico.
The girl was treated at Shriners Children's Hospital in northeast Philadelphia.
"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.
FAA, NTSB leading investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is on the scene of the crash in Virginia, dispatched personnel to Philadelphia.
It was rainy with limited visibility at the time of the crash.
The plane initially reached 1,650 feet and had a final speed of descent was 11,000 feet per minute, according to data from ADS-B Exchange.
Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management posted a posted of the scene Friday night.
"I was right here at the job and all I could see is this big ball of flames in the sky," Mikey Littlejohn told WPVI. Literally, we heard a loud, loud bang. It shook the entire building, the whole building shook."
Vadim Osipov, said the situation reminded him of the war in Ukraine, where he is from. "There's always rockets coming in and stuff like that, then I see things flying."
The Northeast Philadelphia airport was temporarily closed.
Arthur Wolk, an aviation expert, told WCAU-TV, noted the craft descended at "almost 45 degrees, which means that the airplane was out of control."
He said there likely was some sort of malfunction.
President Donald Trump posted Friday night on Truth Social: "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."
About Learjet
The jet was a Learjet 55, which is known as "Longhorn" and was first manufactured in 1979, according to Globalair.com. Production ended in 1993 with 126 built.
There is room for seven passengers.In 1990, Canadian company Bombardier Aerospace purchased Learjet Corp.
Bombardier announced the end production of all Learjet aircraft in 2021.
