The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released video of officials sifting through the debris and destruction left by the fatal Jan. 31 plane crash in Philadelphia, which killed at least seven people and injured 22 more.
The footage, shot on Sunday, captured the haunting aftermath of the Learjet 55 crash. The streets were eerily empty, with debris, yellow tape, abandoned vehicles, and construction barriers guarding the crash site.
One official stood in a crater-sized hole, inspecting the rubble. Drone footage also shows abandoned cars with broken windows covered in ash, several yards from the crater.
On Sunday, the NTSB announced that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) had been recovered from the scene, eight feet below the initial impact point. Investigators also discovered the aircraft’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which the NTSB believes “could also contain flight data.”
“Both components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for evaluation,” according to a statement. “The NTSB investigators have recovered both engines. Wreckage recovery continues tomorrow, and all wreckage will be transported to a secure location in Delaware for further examination.
The crash, involving a medevac jet, occurred near the Roosevelt Mall around 6:30 p.m. on Friday. At the time, the aircraft was departing Northeast Philadelphia Airport on its way to Missouri for a fuel stop before continuing on to Mexico.
According to Jet Air Ambulance spokesperson Shai Gold, one of the passengers on the flight was a Mexican citizen seeking life-saving medical treatment in the United States. The young girl and her mother were on their way home at the time.
The plane carried a total of six people, including four crew members. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker confirmed on Sunday that at least 22 people were injured, with the seventh fatality being in a car at the time of the crash.
“Five of the victims are still hospitalized, and three are in critical condition,” the mayor stated at the press conference. “Out of respect for their families and loved ones, we have not shared the names of those affected. Please continue to pray for them, their families, and loved ones.
Fires broke out immediately following the plane crash, but Philadelphia firefighters eventually brought the flames under control. According to Gold, the plane was “loaded with jet fuel that’s highly flammable.”
“There is no indication that anybody survived, and by the debris field, I would be pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise,” Gold told reporters at the time.
The Jet Air Ambulance spokesperson went on to say that the pilot on the Learjet was “a very seasoned pilot,” and that the co-pilot was equally experienced.
“They know the job, and they do it many times,” Gold stated. “We fly 600-700 missions per year. We are very busy, very active, and we keep excellent employees.”
On Sunday, the NTSB announced that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) had been recovered from the scene, eight feet below the initial impact point. Investigators also discovered the aircraft’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which the NTSB believes “could also contain flight data.”
