5 remain hospitalized after medevac jet crashed in Philadelphia, killing 7

Investigators work the scene after a small plane crashed in Philadelphia on Feb. 1, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP via CNN Newsource)

Five people remain hospitalized Sunday after a medevac jet carrying a pediatric patient and her mother crashed into a residential neighborhood in Philadelphia on Friday night, killing seven people and leaving the community shaken.

All six people aboard the twin-engine medevac were killed, along with one person in a car on the ground. At least 22 people on the ground were injured, three of whom are in critical condition, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said Sunday.

Officials are still working to identify the cause of the crash, with investigators recovering the cockpit voice recorder Sunday.

With at least 11 residential properties significantly damaged by the crash, shelter remains available at a local high school, officials said Sunday.

The six on board were Mexican nationals, including a child who had been treated for an illness at Shriners Children Hospital in northeast Philadelphia and her mother, officials said. They were returning home to Mexico after the girl’s treatment, with the flight’s final destination set for Tijuana.

The four crew members killed in the crash were identified by the flight operator on Sunday.

The aircraft had been piloted by Capt. Alan Montoya Perales, 46, and co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez, 43, a spokesperson for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance told CNN.

They were accompanied by Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, both 41, the spokesperson said.

The Learjet 55 had just taken off and was in flight for less than a minute when it crashed into a residential neighborhood, authorities said, engulfing five homes and multiple vehicles in flames and covering the area with debris.

Photos and videos from the crash show houses with burning roofs and smoke billowing out. Some businesses were also damaged. The next day, the area was cordoned off, with blackened cars left on the road.

The flight crew was extremely experienced and the aircraft was well-maintained, Shai Gold, a spokesperson for the flight operator Jet Rescue Air Ambulance told CNN on Saturday, adding the company was cooperating with authorities.

NTSB investigators have recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) – also referred to as a ‘black box’ - the agency said in a statement Sunday evening.

“The CVR was located at the site of initial impact, at a depth of eight feet. NTSB investigators also recovered the airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which could also contain flight data,” it said.

The systems will now be evaluated, the NTSB said. Investigators have also recovered both engines, spoken to witnesses and obtained surveillance videos, it said.

About 150 people are still working on the ground, responding to the scene and aiding in the ongoing investigation, officials said Sunday. Multiple municipal, state and federal agencies, including local police, Pennsylvania’s environmental and transportation departments, the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB are assisting.

Investigators have been collecting debris from the crash site, which spans four to six blocks, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference Saturday.

Hours before the crash, staff at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia held a sendoff gathering for the pediatric patient returning to Mexico.

Caregivers, staff and patients joined together to “wish her well on her journey and to punctuate her time at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia as meaningful and impactful,” Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Mel Bower told CNN.

The young girl formed close bonds with other patients, and all the staff that knew her, Bower said. “She will be remembered for her sweet spirit, and we will take that spirit with us as we go forward.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro praised the unified response of local, state and federal officials over the weekend.

“We saw neighbor helping neighbor,” Shapiro said. “We know that there will be loss in this region and we want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those who are grieving.”

Lauren Mascarenhas and Jessie Yeung, CNN