U.S. News

Actions

What we know about the fatal Philadelphia plane crash that left 7 dead

The air ambulance jet, headed for Mexico, crashed into the ground, causing a fireball that damaged several homes and scattered debris up to five blocks away.
Investigators work the scene after a small plane crashed in Philadelphia.
Posted

Philadelphia officials are now counting three more people who are injured from a plane crash on Friday, bringing the total to 22, including five who remain hospitalized. And while the damage on the ground is clear, what led to it and what happened to the jet is not.

In less than a minute, a Mexico-bound air ambulance jet that departed Philadelphia on Friday night, climbed to 1,500 feet before it took a steep nosedive, crashing into the ground. The ensuing fireball set several homes on fire in the area as debris scattered up to five blocks away.

RELATED STORY | Investigators examining large debris field after deadly medical jet crash

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, all six Mexican nationals on the flight died, including a little girl who had just received life-saving medical treatment, and her mother.

"Our city continues to mourn their loss and they are in our thoughts and prayers," Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a press conference.

Parker added that 22 people on the ground were injured from the crash, plus another who was killed in their car.

RELATED STORY | Families visit crash site days after the deadliest US air disaster since 2001

Officials say it could be weeks before a cause of the crash is identified. The NTSB has located the jet's black box and will analyze it to gather more information about what may have caused the crash.