The six passengers traveling on a medical jet before it crashed in Northeast Philadelphia Friday night have been identified by the Mexico-based company that was operating the small plane.
All those onboard the Learjet 55 aircraft, including a pediatric patient who recently finished treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital, were killed in the crash.
A spokesperson for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the following individuals, all of whom were Mexican citizens, were flying on the plane before it went down near Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. on Jan. 31:
- Capt. Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales
- Copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez
- Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo
- Rodrigo Lopez Padilla
- Valentina Guzman Murillo
- Lizeth Murillo Ozuna
Jet Air Ambulance said Valentina Guzman Murillo was the young patient receiving treatment in Philadelphia, and was accompanied by her mother Lizeth.
“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,” Mel Bower, a spokesperson for the hospital, said Friday night.
In addition to the six victims that were killed on the plane, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said Saturday that a seventh person who was on the ground at the time of the crash also died, though that individual as not yet been identified. Local hospitals said they also treated more than 20 people for injuries after the crash.
Parker and other city officials are scheduled to provide an update on the crash response and investigation at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. You can watch the press conference live in the player above.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is released.