Injury count in Northeast Philly plane crash rises to 24, black box found

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The number of people known to be injured in Friday’s plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia has risen to at least 24, officials said Monday. Four remain hospitalized, two of them in critical condition.

“We will continue to keep them, their loved ones and families in our prayers,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said during a press briefing Monday. “We stand with them.”

The medical transport Learjet 55 crashed less than a minute after it left the Northeast Philadelphia Airport Friday, killing one person on the ground and all six people on board — a child who had received life-saving medical treatment in Philadelphia, her mother and four crew members, all of whom were from Mexico.

The crash and massive fire, which occurred in a heavily populated residential area near the Roosevelt Mall, destroyed four properties, severely damaged six and impacted more than 300 other properties in some way, according to city officials. As of Sunday, the total number of people displaced was not known.

“This remains an ongoing investigation,” Parker said Monday. “It is fluid, and it is active.”

Plane’s black box found

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

The depth of the crater where the plane hit the ground indicates “it was a very steep angle at which that aircraft came down,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at the briefing.

Investigators will look into the weather, any medical concerns among crew members, and any technical or mechanical issues on the plane as potential causes of the crash, Duffy said.

The NTSB announced Sunday it had found the plane’s “black box” cockpit voice recorder at a depth of 8 feet, along with the plane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system, which officials say may contain flight data. These items are being sent to Washington, D.C., for evaluation.

“Hopefully we’re able to extract the evidence off the black box,” Duffy said.

Air quality not a concern, city says

Shortly after the plane crashed Friday evening, city emergency management officials sent out a message through the ReadyPhiladelphia alert system warning residents to “take precautions to avoid unnecessary exposure to smoke.” The message included standard language often sent out during fires, including advice that people nearby avoid going outdoors as much as possible, avoid activity such as jogging or running outside, wear a mask outdoors, and close windows and doors to minimize air pollution entering homes.

Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health monitored air quality in the area using a mobile monitoring van and other technology following the crash, said spokesperson James Garrow. On Monday, officials continued to monitor the air quality nearby through a station at the Northeast Airport.

“At no point did any air pollutants or air toxics reach a dangerous level,” Garrow said.

Where to go for help

The city, school district and American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania set up a 24-hour shelter at Samuel Fels High School (5500 Langdon St.) for anyone affected by the incident.

Affected residents can also report property damage and get help filing claims by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767).

City officials asked people looking to help residents affected by the crash to refrain from donating items to the Red Cross shelter. Parker said the city is working on standing up a process for donations.

“We know Philadelphia will recover from this tragedy,” she said.

Billy Penn’s Nick Kariuki contributed to this story.