At least seven people dead in Philadelphia plane crash, officials say
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Officials working at the site of the crash in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Feb 1.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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PHILADELPHIA - At least seven people died when a medevac plane crashed in Philadelphia
The Learjet 55 plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a Philadelphia airport, and carried two passengers: A child patient and the youth’s mother, as well as four crew members, according to Shai Gold, an official with operator Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, in a post on LinkedIn.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker told a press conference that the person who died on the ground had been in a car at the site of the crash.
"Thus far, our count is that there are 19 injured victims," Ms Parker said.
“This is a tragedy in our city. People lost their lives and many injured in this horrific crash and the damage is significant,” she posted on Feb 1 on X.
“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,” the hospital said in a statement.
Separately, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on X that she had asked consular officials to support the families of the six Mexican citizens who were on the plane and died when it crashed.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, based in Mexico and licensed to operate in the US, on Jan 31 said its aircraft crashed with four crew members, one paediatric medical patient and the patient's mother on board.
The child was a girl on her way home with a final destination of Tijuana, Mr Shai Gold, who works on corporate strategy with Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, told CNN on Jan 31.
Her mother was also aboard, he said.
The FAA and the US National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident. The Mexico-registered jet, which is 43 years old, is owned by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, according to Flightradar24.
Numerous videos posted on social media of the crash showed the plane explode, likely a result of the large amount of jet fuel it would have been carrying upon take-off.
The twin-engined Learjet is a type of small business jet, with more than 3,000 produced in its lifetime. Canadian planemaker Bombardier stopped manufacturing the plane in 2021.
The accident occurred less than 48 hours after a midair collision involving an American Airlines Group Inc. regional jet and a US Army helicopter in Washington. There were no survivors in Jan 29’s crash, which took 67 lives, and was the worst fatal air accident in the US in decades.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that investigators were already at the accident site. He said he had briefed President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and his department was offering full support to local officials. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (right) and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker holding a press conference at the site of the crash on Feb 1.
PHOTO: REUTERS
