In another horrific airline tragedy to strike in the wake of the suspicious and awful crash that left dozens dead in DC, a medical ambulance plane that was transporting a little girl who had just gotten life-saving medical care crashed in Philadelphia on the night of Friday, January 31.
The plane crashed into the street near Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Mall, and the fuel from it ignited near homes in the area. The plane, a Learjet 55, was apparently piloted by a company called Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a global air ambulance company that flies patients in need of urgent care.
The company said this in an urgently released press statement posted to LinkedIn on the night of January 31. It began the statement by saying, “On Friday, January 31st, at approximately 18:25 EST, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance experienced a crash. The aircraft XA-UCI, Learjet 55, crashed after takeoff from Philadelphia.”
Continuing, it said it would not release names until the families had been notified but that the four crew members and two passengers were dead. It said, “There were four (4) crew members and two (2) passengers (pediatric patient and her mother) on board. There were no survivors. No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified.”
It then offered its condolences as a company to the departed crew members and passengers, saying, “The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance family extends its heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy to the family of the patient, families of our team members, and anyone who was hurt on the ground.”
And, thanking the first responders in Philadelphia who dealt with the crisis, it said, “Jet Rescue Air Ambulance extends sincere thanks to the many first responders, as well as the City, County and State leadership who mobilized emergency resources to the crash site. Thank you Philadelphia and Pennsylvania for a remarkable response.”
It concluded, “Thanks to our friends and colleagues who reached out to express their support and offer help during this challenging time. Special thanks to the many reporters and media outlets who reached out to us for information. We are touched by the dignified, respectable and professional conduct of the media and greatly appreciate the factual coverage of this tragic accident.” Watch the crash here:
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Air Ambulance spokesperson Shai Gold, in a statement to Fox News Digital about the incident, said, “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 further added, in the statement to Fox News Digital, “[There was] a very seasoned pilot [and a] very seasoned co-pilot. They know the job, and they do it many times. We fly 600 to 700 missions a year. We are very busy, very active, and we keep top-notch staff.”
President Donald Trump, for his part, took to Truth Social to post about the matter, saying, “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video