Air ambulance crashes into infrastructure in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while transporting pediatric patient, no survivors

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

On Friday evening, a small air ambulance crashed into a residential and commercial area in a densely populated neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, killing everyone on board. The plane took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, rapidly lost altitude, and crashed into buildings below. As of February 2, officials confirmed six fatalities onboard the jet and at least one on the ground, warning the death toll could rise in the coming days.

The Learjet 55, which was heading Springfield, Missouri for a brief stopover before ultimately heading to to Tijuana, Mexico, was transporting a pediatric patient and her mother. CBS, citing a spokesman for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, identified the patient as Valentina Guzman Murillo, a Mexican citizen who had recently completed treatment for an unspecified illness at Shriners Children’s Hospital. Murillo had been receiving treatment in Philadelphia for four months prior due to difficulties finding care in her home country. The staff of the hospital said that they had thrown her a party earlier in the day prior to her departure from the hospital. “Her journey was one of hope and of aspiration. […] It’s always a meaningful but yet emotional time for us. It’s really just been compounded by the tragic ending,” hospital spokesperson Mel Bower said. Other casualties on the plane included medical personnel such as a doctor and a paramedic, as well as the plane’s two pilots. All onboard were Mexican citizens.

According to city officials, the plane remained airborne for only a minute before losing altitude and crashing. The plane had reached an altitude of 1,500 feet before sharply declining. The crash site was approximately four miles away from the airport from which the plane had taken off, and was located in a mixed-use neighborhood containing both businesses and residences. The plane did not report issues to air traffic control. Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft shortly after takeoff, and officials were quoted saying, “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.” The plane was said to have been left “highly fragmented” from what was described as a “high-impact crash” by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy.

Philadelphia’s managing director, Adam Thiel, stated that the disaster area covered as much as six city blocks. City officials reported that several properties sustained what they described as “significant damage.” Due to safety concerns, residents were advised to avoid the accident zone, and Mayor Cherelle Parker urged anyone who found aircraft debris to call 911 and “don’t touch anything.”

Thiel also cautioned that debris may be scattered far from the crash site, stating, “It’s possible that if you are somewhere not even near here, somewhere between this location and Northeast Airport, you may go out and find something in your yard.” At a press conference, he emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation, saying, “This is still a very active and fluid situation […] It will likely be days or more until we are able to definitively answer the question about the number of folks who perished in this tragedy and the outcome for those who are injured.”

The cause of the crash remained unknown, and the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB were brought to the fore of the investigation. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said that they were collecting debris from the jet, which was described as “scattered,” and said the process could take days or weeks. Mayor Parker later said they were “poring over every bit of material that has been available.”

The NTSB told CBS that by Sunday evening, the plane’s engines and black box had been recovered from the wreckage. The NTSB also said that it had collected the plane’s ground proximity warning system, and that it will be sent it to a lab in Washington, D.C. along with the black box for evaluation.

The explosion was captured on doorbell security footage from nearby properties, some of which lost power following the crash. Witnesses described the impact to local media as a “massive fireball” that briefly “lit up the whole sky.” Some compared the blast to an earthquake, while others initially thought it was a thunderstorm or a gas station explosion. A patron in a nearby restaurant sustained injuries after being struck by a “heavy metal object” that flew through a window. Another witness recalled hearing a “whirring noise” just before the explosion.

Ring doorbell footage of Flight 056 crashing
Image: thenamelessone888.

US President Donald Trump said, “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost.” Pennsylvania state representative Jared Solomon was quoted saying “In a time of profound tragedy, I was inspired to witness hundreds of our first responders sprinting towards danger to ensure the safety of our neighborhood.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gave her condolences on X, saying “Consular authorities are in constant contact with the families; I have asked the Foreign Affairs Secretary to support whatever is needed. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.”

The crash came just days after another aviation disaster in the northeastern United States, where a passenger airplane collided mid-air with a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people.