Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Officials: Seven Dead, 19 Injured in Air Ambulance Crash in Philadelphia
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 days ago on
February 1, 2025

Authorities investigate deadly air ambulance crash in Philadelphia, confirming seven fatalities and 19 injuries as they assess the extensive damage. (AP/Steven M. Falk)

Share

PHILADELPHIA — Authorities sifted through burned cars and charred debris Saturday to gather clues that might explain why an air ambulance exploded into a fiery ball as it crashed to the ground in Philadelphia, leaving no survivors on board.

It could be days — or more — until authorities are able to confirm the number of dead and injured, said Adam Thiel, the city’s managing director. As of Saturday morning, officials confirmed seven dead — six on the jet, one person on the ground — and 19 injured.

The crash scene was a large area, and authorities were working to assess the damage, Thiel said. Teams were going house to house inspecting the dwellings in the area. The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall in a densely populated area.

It is “entirely possible” that there will be changes to the casualty figures, Thiel said. There are “a lot of unknowns” as to who was where on the streets of the neighborhood when the plane crashed.

Mexican Officials Confirm Casualties

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that all six of those on board the medical transport jet were killed. All the victims were from Mexico.

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

“I mourn the passing of six Mexicans in the aviation accident in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in constant contact with the families; I’ve asked the Foreign Affairs Secretary to support whatever is needed. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends,” she said in a statement translated from Spanish.

There were also casualties on the ground. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said one person who was in a car was killed and 19 others were injured.

Details of the Flight and Passengers

The jet was transporting a child who had just completed treatment at Shriners Children’s hospital, her mother and four crew members.

“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, Shriners spokesperson Mel Bower said in a statement. “Because of patient privacy concerns, we cannot say any more about the patient and her family at this time.”

Tijuana was the flight’s final destination after a stop in Missouri.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in the U.S. It operated the Learjet 55, which was registered in Mexico.

Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold said. A seasoned crew operated the plane and all flight crews undergo rigrous training, he said.

“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”

Recent Aviation Incidents

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.

The Philadelphia crash was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023 five crewmembers were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.

Eyewitness Accounts and Investigation

In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera captured video of the plane plunging in a streak of white and exploding as it hit the ground near a shopping mall and 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 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.

The 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 (487 meters). It was registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.

Shortly after 6 p.m., audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller telling “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right when departing. About 30 seconds later it repeats the request before asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later, the controller says, “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 his home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang and his house shook.

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

Jet Rescue, which provides global air ambulance services, 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 said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. The NTSB said an investigator arrived Friday and more officials would be there Saturday.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

San Diego Added to Southwest’s Nonstop Destinations From Fresno Airport

DON'T MISS

Clovis Man Gets 27 Years to Life for Attempted Murder of Estranged Wife

DON'T MISS

$3 Million Gift Will Mean Laptops, Solar Panels, Larger Chapel for This Fresno University

DON'T MISS

Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Is Sentenced to 4 Years and 9 Months in Sports Betting Case

DON'T MISS

NCAA Changes Transgender Policy to Limit Women’s Competition to Athletes Assigned Female at Birth

DON'T MISS

Israel Starts Planning for Palestinians to Leave Gaza Despite International Rejection

DON'T MISS

Mayor Says Fresno Needs High-Speed Rail Despite Cost Overruns

DON'T MISS

12 States to Sue Over DOGE Access to Government Payment Systems Containing Personal Data

DON'T MISS

Irv Gotti, Music Executive Who Created Murder Inc. Records, Dies at 54

DON'T MISS

ABC30 Has a New News Director. She’s a Familiar TV Face.

UP NEXT

Clovis Man Gets 27 Years to Life for Attempted Murder of Estranged Wife

UP NEXT

$3 Million Gift Will Mean Laptops, Solar Panels, Larger Chapel for This Fresno University

UP NEXT

Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Is Sentenced to 4 Years and 9 Months in Sports Betting Case

UP NEXT

NCAA Changes Transgender Policy to Limit Women’s Competition to Athletes Assigned Female at Birth

UP NEXT

Israel Starts Planning for Palestinians to Leave Gaza Despite International Rejection

UP NEXT

Mayor Says Fresno Needs High-Speed Rail Despite Cost Overruns

UP NEXT

12 States to Sue Over DOGE Access to Government Payment Systems Containing Personal Data

UP NEXT

Irv Gotti, Music Executive Who Created Murder Inc. Records, Dies at 54

UP NEXT

ABC30 Has a New News Director. She’s a Familiar TV Face.

UP NEXT

California’s EV Sales Stall. So What Happens to Landmark Mandate?

Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Is Sentenced to 4 Years and 9 Months in Sports Betting Case

16 hours ago

NCAA Changes Transgender Policy to Limit Women’s Competition to Athletes Assigned Female at Birth

16 hours ago

Israel Starts Planning for Palestinians to Leave Gaza Despite International Rejection

16 hours ago

Mayor Says Fresno Needs High-Speed Rail Despite Cost Overruns

16 hours ago

12 States to Sue Over DOGE Access to Government Payment Systems Containing Personal Data

16 hours ago

Irv Gotti, Music Executive Who Created Murder Inc. Records, Dies at 54

16 hours ago

ABC30 Has a New News Director. She’s a Familiar TV Face.

17 hours ago

California’s EV Sales Stall. So What Happens to Landmark Mandate?

18 hours ago

31 Arrested in Fresno Human Trafficking Operation

18 hours ago

Find Your Next Career Opportunity Today at FUSD Expo

18 hours ago

San Diego Added to Southwest’s Nonstop Destinations From Fresno Airport

Southwest Airlines added a fourth nonstop destination to routes to and from Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Beginning Oct. 2, travele...

14 hours ago

14 hours ago

San Diego Added to Southwest’s Nonstop Destinations From Fresno Airport

15 hours ago

Clovis Man Gets 27 Years to Life for Attempted Murder of Estranged Wife

15 hours ago

$3 Million Gift Will Mean Laptops, Solar Panels, Larger Chapel for This Fresno University

Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani arrives at federal court for bank and tax fraud sentencing on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in Santa Ana, Calif. (AP/Damian Dovarganes)
16 hours ago

Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Is Sentenced to 4 Years and 9 Months in Sports Betting Case

The San Jose State University Spartans line up for the playing of the national anthem and player introductions for their NCAA Mountain West women's volleyball game against the Colorado State University Rams in Fort Collins, Colo., on Oct. 3, 2024. (AP File)
16 hours ago

NCAA Changes Transgender Policy to Limit Women’s Competition to Athletes Assigned Female at Birth

16 hours ago

Israel Starts Planning for Palestinians to Leave Gaza Despite International Rejection

16 hours ago

Mayor Says Fresno Needs High-Speed Rail Despite Cost Overruns

16 hours ago

12 States to Sue Over DOGE Access to Government Payment Systems Containing Personal Data

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend