Cockpit recorder likely hadn't worked ‘for several years' before jet crashed in Philadelphia: NTSB
(NEXSTAR) – The cockpit voice recorder in the medical transport jet that slammed into a Philadelphia neighborhood in January had likely not worked for years, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Thursday.
The NTSB also confirmed that the flight crew made no distress calls to air traffic control.
The Learjet 55, bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Jan. 31 but remained in the air for roughly one minute before crashing into the residential and commercial district.
The impact of the plane ignited a massive ball of fire, killing the two pilots, two medical crew members, and two passengers, as well as one person who was inside a vehicle on the ground, according to the NTSB.
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At least two dozen people on the ground were injured, including a 10-year-old boy in a vehicle who was hit by debris while trying to protect his sister.
Those on the plane included an 11-year-old girl who had been receiving medical treatment at Shriners Children's Philadelphia Hospital. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the plane had been taking Valentina Guzmán Murillo and her 31-year-old mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, home to Mexico.
Jet Rescue identified its team members as Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, 41; the captain, Alan Montoya Perales, 46; the copilot, Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43; and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41. All four were from Mexico.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has said air traffic controllers didn't hear anything concerning before the crash.
A map of the plane's trajectory shows it taking off and turning slightly right before starting a gradual left turn, reaching an altitude of 1,650 feet before crashing.
The high-impact crash left the plane 'highly fragmented,' she said. The cockpit voice recorder was recovered about 8 feet (2.4 meters) beneath the ground's surface.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who visited the crash site with investigators, said that the aircraft came down at 'a very steep angle' and that the impact area was notably 'expansive.'
City officials said the resulting fire and debris destroyed or significantly damaged more than a dozen homes and businesses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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