A medical transport jet carrying a child, her mother, and four crew members crashed in a fiery, high-impact accident just moments after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening.
The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, took off at 6:06 p.m., climbed to approximately 1,500 feet, and then rapidly descended, crashing less than a minute after takeoff, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Bill Hicks.
“The entire flight lasted less than a minute,” Hicks stated during a Saturday press briefing.
All six people aboard the jet perished, including the child, who had just received care from Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia and was returning home with her mother. The four crew members, all Mexican citizens, also lost their lives, according to a statement from the Mexican government.
The mayor of Ensenada, Mexico, identified two victims as Lizaeth Murillo Osuna and Valentina Guzman Murillo. Officials confirmed that the plane was en route to Tijuana, Mexico.
Tragically, the crash also claimed the life of at least one person in a vehicle on the ground, and at least 19 others—including individuals in parking lots, cars, and nearby homes—sustained injuries, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said during a Saturday briefing.
Investigators found no indication that the flight crew signaled an emergency before the crash.
“In the recording that we have, air traffic controllers attempted to contact the flight crew, but they did not receive a response,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
The NTSB has classified the crash as an accident, with further investigations underway to determine the cause of the rapid descent.