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Saturday, February 1, 2025
On Friday evening, a medical jet crashed into some buildings in Philadephilphia, Pennsylvanya, United States.
The crash killed everyone on board. All of the crash’s casualties were Mexican nationals. Officials said the casuly count could grow.
One of the ground casulties was driving in a car when it happened.
The jet was carrying a child patient and her mother. The patient had just completed treatment for a live-threatening illness that is diffiucult to treat in Mexico. “Her journey was one of hope and of aspiration,” they said afterwards. The jet was heading to Tijuana, Mexico.
The mayor confirmed that there were no survivors aboard the craft.
Casualties on the plane also included medical personel such as a doctor, a paramedic as well as two pilots.
They also said someone on the ground was killed in the impact.
The plane had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which was four miles away from the crash site. A shopping center was also in proximity. Flight logs indicate the plane lasted merely one minute in the air before losing altitude.
The plane did not report issues to air traffic control.
The explosion was described as a “massive fireball” that “lit up the whole sky.” The crash was also likened to an earthquake by witnesses. One witness recounted believing the explosion was an attack.
Witnesses recounted seeing shrapnel damage vehicles. They said debris was spat onto the streets. One witness recounted hearinmg a “whirring noise” with an accompanying explosion. Fire officials said they extinguished five individual fires that resulted from the crash.
A waiter in a nearby resturaunt saiud, “All of sudden I heard like a ‘boom,’ and I thought it was a thunderstorm […] and I get up and look at the smoke and the fire, it was like a balloon. I thought it was a gas station that blew up.” A patron in the resturaunt was injured after being struck by what was described as a “heavy metal object”
Residents were advised to avoid the accident zone due to safety concerns. The mayor urged residents who found pieces of debris from the aircraft to call 911 and “don’t touch anything.”
The FAA was brought to the fore.
The cause of the crash remained unknown. The investigation was underway. The mayor, Homendy, said that they were copllecting debris from the jet, which was described as “scattered.” She said the process could take days or weeks.
The agency was searching for the cockpit voice recordings to help figure out what went wrong.
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 neighbourhood.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gave her condolences on X “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 after another crash justr days prior in Washington DC.
