Philadelphia Plane Crash Leaves 7 Dead, 24 Injured; NTSB Investigates

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Federal investigators are working to determine the cause of a deadly plane crash that killed seven people and injured 24 others in Northeast Philadelphia last week. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded its on-site investigation Tuesday but emphasized that the forensic analysis is ongoing.

The crash, which occurred Friday evening, involved a Learjet 55 air ambulance that plummeted shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The plane was transporting 11-year-old Valentina Guzmán Murillo, who had recently completed medical treatment at Shriners Children's Philadelphia, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, 31, back to Mexico. All six people aboard the plane, including the medical team, were killed, along with one person on the ground.

NTSB officials recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the crash site, which left a massive crater on Cottman Avenue. The recorder was found 8 feet deep in the debris. Investigators are also examining the jet’s ground proximity warning system for additional flight data. “We will be able to get some data, hopefully, off that device,” said Managing Director Adam Thiel.

The crash caused extensive damage to the surrounding area, destroying four homes, severely damaging six others, and affecting 366 properties in total. Thamby Markus, a resident living 500 feet from the impact site, described the chaos: “I heard the noise. The house was shaking, a couple of windows fell down.” Sheraz Khan, whose home on Rupert Street was damaged, said, “A lot of windows in our house are blown out. It smells like fuel, gas.”

City crews worked overnight to clear debris, aiming to reopen most businesses and allow residents to return to their homes by Wednesday. However, Thiel urged non-residents to avoid the area, calling it a “controlled zone.”

The Red Cross provided assistance to displaced residents, and a shelter at Samuel Fels High School closed Tuesday night. A town hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening at S. Solis-Cohen Elementary School to address community concerns.

The crash occurred just two days after a midair collision in Washington, D.C., involving an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter. Audio from LiveATC captured air traffic controllers at Northeast Philadelphia Airport attempting to communicate with the doomed plane, which lost contact shortly after takeoff. “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened,” a controller said.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance identified the crew members as Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, 41; Captain Alan Montoya Perales, 46; Copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43; and Paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41. Valentina had been receiving treatment for a condition not easily treated in Mexico, according to hospital officials.