Seven dead and 19 injured in an air ambulance accident in Philadelphia

At least seven people died when an air ambulance crashed into Philadelphia. Almost all victims were from Mexico. The authorities do not rule out changes in death figures.

At least seven people died and 19 were injured when an air ambulance crashed into a busy intersection of Philadelphia, officials reported on Saturday. Those killed in Friday's accident include a girl who was receiving treatment in a hospital in Philadelphia and her mother.

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed that the six people aboard the jet – including the girl – died. All the victims were from Mexico.

In addition, a person on land who was in a car died and another 19 were injured in the accident, said the mayor of Philadelphia, Cherelle Parker.

The accident scene covered a wide area with many damages and the authorities were working to assess the damage, said Adam Thiel, administrative director of the city. The teams went from house to house inspecting the homes in the area for damage.

It is “totally possible” that there are changes in the figures of victims that have been informed so far, Thiel said. He added that there are “many unknowns” about who was where the air accident occurred in the streets of the neighborhood.

They could spend days or more until the authorities can definitely answer the question of how many people died or were injured, Thiel said.

On Saturday, in a statement on the social media platform X, Sheinbaum confirmed the deaths.

“I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in permanent contact with family members; I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support everything that is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends, ”wrote the president.

The Jet transported a girl who had just completed a treatment at the Shriners Children's hospital, to her mother and four crew members.

“The patient had received care from Shriners Children's Philadelphia and was being transported back to her country of origin in Mexico in an air ambulance hired when the accident occurred,” Shriners spokesman, Mel Bower, Mel Bower, said in a statement. “For privacy reasons, we cannot say more about the patient and her family at this time.”

Tijuana was the final destination of the flight after a stop at Missouri.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is based in Mexico and operates both there and in the United States. The Learjet 55 operated, which was registered in Mexico.

Jet Rescue spokesman Shai Gold indicated that an experienced team operated the plane and that all flight crews undergo rigorous training.

“When an incident like this occurs, it is shocking and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “All airplanes are maintained, it is not spared in expenses because we know that our mission is critical.”

The accident occurred only two days after the most deadly aerial disaster in the United States in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet that had 60 passengers and four crew members collided in the air in Washington, DC, with an army helicopter that transported three soldiers. There were no survivors.

The Philadelphia accident was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023, five crew members died when his plane got out of a track in the Mexican central state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.

In Philadelphia, a bell camera captured a video of the plane precipitating in a white trail and exploding when impacting the ground near a shopping center and a main road.

“Everything we heard was a strong roar and we didn't know where it came from. We just turned and saw the big column, ”said Jim Quinn, the owner of the Timbre camera.

The accident occurred less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the Northeast of Philadelphia airport, which mainly serves business jets and charter flights.

The Learjet 55 quickly disappeared from the radar after taking off from the airport at 6:06 pm and reaching an altitude of 487 meters (1,600 feet). It was registered in the name of a company that operates as Med Jets, according to the Flight Aware flight monitoring website.

Shortly after 6 PM, an audio recorded by Liveatc captured an air traffic controller telling “Medevac Medservice 056 ″ to turn right when they took off. About 30 seconds later repeat the application before asking, ”are you frequently?” Minutes later, the controller says: “We have a lost aircraft. We are not exactly sure what happened, so we are trying to find out. For now the field will be closed. ”

In a publication on the social networks Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: “It is sad to see the plane fall into Philadelphia.”

Testimonies

The plane crashed at a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood.

A cell phone video taken by a witness moments after the accident showed a chaotic scene with debris scattered around the intersection. An orange wall shone just beyond while a black smoke column rose to the sky and the sirens sounded.

Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a strong rumble and his house trembled.

“There was a great explosion, so I thought we were being attacked by a second,” he said.

Jet Rescue, which provides global air ambulance services, transferred the baseball player David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and was involved in the transport of critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The American Aviation Agency said the National Transportation Board will lead the investigation. The Board announced that an investigator arrived on Friday and more officials would be there on Saturday.