A medical evacuation Learjet flight crashed shortly after taking off from an airport of Philadelphia on Friday, killing six people on board.
The Learjet 55 plane transported two passengers, including a child, and four crew membersaccording to Shai Gold, official of the Operadora company Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, in a publication on LinkedIn. All were Mexican citizens, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico in an X publication.
“The patient had received attention from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her country of origin in Mexico In an air ambulance hired when the accident occurred, ”said the hospital in a statement, adding that the other passenger was the child’s mother.
“Due to concerns about the patient’s privacy, we cannot say anything else about the patient and her family at this time”He said, confirming the loss of passengers and crew.
The accident occurred around 6:30 pm local time, shortly after taking off the Northeast Airport of PhiladelphiaSaid the Federal Administration of Aviation of the United States in a statement.
The plane was heading to Springfield-Benson National Airport in Missouri to resume fuel before heading to Tijuana in MexicoGold told CNN.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Board of Transportation Security of the United States will investigate the accident. The plane, which is 43 years old and is registered in Mexico, is owned by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, according to Flightradar24.
Numerous videos published on social networks about the accident near Philadelphia showed that the plane explodedprobably as a result of the large amount of fuel that would have transported when they take off.
Gold told CNN that the aircraft involved had an excellent maintenance history and that the plane controls were up to the standards. The Bimotor Learjet is a small type of commercial plane, of which more than 3,000 units were manufactured throughout its useful life. Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier stopped manufacturing the plane in 2021.
The accident occurred less than 48 hours after a collision in the air that involved a regional American Airlines Group Inc. and a United States army helicopter in Washington DC. There were no survivors in Wednesday’s accident, which charged 67 lives and was the worst fatal plane crash in the United States in decades.
The Secretary of Transportation of the United States, Sean Duffy, said in an X publication that the researchers were already at the scene of the accident. He said he had informed President Donald Trump and Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiroand that his department was offering total support to local officials.
