PHILADELPHIA — A total of seven individuals, which included a person in a vehicle, lost their lives in a tragic air ambulance crash near a mall in northeast Philadelphia on Friday night. The six occupants of the plane have been identified as Capt. Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, patient Valentina Guzman Murillo, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Ozuna. Although Jet Rescue Air Ambulance expressed doubt about any survivors on board, official confirmations are pending.
Mayor Cherelle Parker disclosed on Monday that the count of casualties on the ground, where residences and vehicles were impacted, has risen to 24. Among the injured, four individuals remain hospitalized, with two in critical condition. To respect the privacy of the affected families, no further details regarding injuries have been disclosed.
Governor Josh Shapiro commended the collaborative efforts of the community post-crash, highlighting the bravery of individuals, including a man in a green hoodie who rushed to aid the injured. Shapiro expressed gratitude towards the first responders, law enforcement, and the community for their swift response.
The air ambulance was en route from Northeast Philadelphia Airport to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when the tragedy occurred near Roosevelt Mall at around 6:30 p.m.
In a press conference, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed the accident classification and stated that the investigation is ongoing. The flight path of the Learjet 55 from Florida to Philadelphia was detailed by Ralph Hicks, the senior air safety investigator for the NTSB. The aircraft had followed a routine path until a steep descent leading to the crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also actively involved in the investigation. According to Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, all passengers were Mexican nationals, with the Mexican Consulate providing assistance to their families. The patient on board had traveled to the U.S. for life-saving treatment and was returning home to Tijuana International Airport.
Authorities have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and noted the extensive impact zone, with debris scattered across multiple blocks. NTSB is diligently analyzing all available evidence to unravel the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
Focused on the collection of perishable evidence, such as debris from the crash site, the investigative board confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday that the cockpit voice recorder of the aircraft had been retrieved from a depth of 8 feet at the point of impact. This discovery was described as a crucial development for the investigators, as the information contained in the voice recorder could potentially unveil crucial details about the circumstances leading up to the crash and assist in establishing a timeline of events.
Member of the board, Homendy, expressed on Saturday prior to the recovery of the device that it was likely damaged and may be fragmented. In addition to the voice recorder, the enhanced ground proximity warning system of the airplane, which could hold valuable flight data, was also recovered and will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for further analysis.
NTSB officials have emphasized their unparalleled expertise in extracting information from damaged devices recovered from crash sites. In addition to the vital components retrieved, both engines of the aircraft have also been recovered by investigators, who remain on-site to continue their work. The wreckage recovered will undergo thorough examination at a secure facility in Delaware as part of the ongoing investigation.
According to Homendy, there were no reports of debris or other objects falling from the aircraft prior to the crash. The NTSB is encouraging individuals with witness videos of the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.
Witnesses, such as Odalis Acosta, shared their accounts of the terrifying event, with Acosta recounting how the surroundings shook as glass shattered and heavy metal debris struck a customer. Video footage captured the intense fire and smoke emanating from the crash site.
The tragic incident occurred shortly after a previous aviation disaster that claimed the lives of 67 individuals in a midair collision involving an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy highlighted the significance of the recovered voice recorder in potentially shedding light on the moments leading up to the crash.
During a press conference on Monday, Duffy praised the collaborative efforts of Philadelphia officials, first responders, NTSB, and FAA investigators. He pledged ongoing support and cooperation with the local and state authorities beyond the immediate aftermath of the incident.
“We will not forget,” Duffy affirmed. “We are committed to standing in partnership with your community and the remarkable team dedicated to this cause.” Reporting from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Maya Eaglin and Minyvonne Burke contributed to this article, originally published on TODAY.com.
