Officials said on the ground, 19 people were injured in the crash, which caused an explosion and set several homes ablaze near the Roosevelt Mall in the area of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue.
The small plane, a Learjet 55, had just departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport bound for Springfield, Missouri, when it went down, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed all six people aboard — all of whom were Mexican citizens — were killed.
“I mourn the passing of six Mexicans in the aviation accident in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in constant contact with the families; I’ve asked the Foreign Affairs Secretary to support whatever is needed. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends,” she said in a statement written in Spanish.
The plane crashed into a neighborhood near the Roosevelt Mall just moments after leaving the airstrip at approximately 6:07 p.m. The first emergency calls went out about five minutes later, at 6:12 p.m.
The plane was operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a Florida-based company that specializes in flights to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean, the company’s website states. In a statement, JRAA said the six people aboard the plane included four crew members, a pediatric patient, and the patient’s escort.
The pediatric patient was a girl from Mexico who had received treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, according to Mel Bower, a spokesperson for the hospital. Her treatment had ended and she was on her way home when the plane crashed.
It’s extremely hard and extremely difficult, those that were involved directly in her care were very aware that she was going to be traveling home and there had actually been a sendoff for her today,” Bower said.
He said the hospital community at Shriners was impacted very deeply by this and that their patients are their family. Bower said the care the hospital provides is not just in the clinical sphere but goes beyond to a personal level.
When asked if she enjoyed the end-of-treatment celebration earlier Friday, Bower said, “I’m certain that she did. Our staff – they work so hard at bringing joy and laughter and excitement into all parts of the clinical aspect. Our patients don’t look at it as going to the hospital. They go to a place where they have fun and have enjoyment.”
Bower said the two doctors on the plane were not affiliated with Shriners, but rather the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.
Shriners Children’s Hospital has provided unique medical care and hope to children for over 100 years, according to its website.
