On January 31, a Learjet 55 serving as an air ambulance crashed into the Castor Gardens neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All six people on board lost their lives in the crash. The cause of the incident is currently unknown.
The aircraft, identified with registration XA-UCI, took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport around 6:30 p.m. Eastern time. It was operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance and was en route to Springfield, Missouri for refueling before continuing to Tijuana, Mexico with a pediatric patient and their family. The flight encountered a low ceiling of 400 feet overcast and reached a maximum altitude of 1,650 feet before descending rapidly at -11,008 feet per minute.
Jet Rescue has shared images from past missions on social media to provide insight into the operations of their Learjet 55 aircraft. The Learjet 75, a larger version of the Learjet 55, also serves as an air ambulance.
Security cameras from nearby homes captured videos of the crash’s descent and aftermath. These graphic videos have been circulating on social media platforms.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced via X – formerly Twitter – that they have an investigator on site with additional support staff arriving soon. Despite ongoing investigations into other incidents like American Airlines Flight 5342, the NTSB has assured its capacity to handle multiple investigations simultaneously.
Local authorities in Philadelphia are actively responding to the situation. The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management has opened an emergency shelter for those affected by the crash.
This story is still developing. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
