Hundreds of firefighters and first responders rushed to Northeast Philadelphia on Friday evening after a plane carrying six people crashed. The incident took place around 6:30 p.m. near Cottman Avenue and Bustleton Avenue, close to Roosevelt Mall.
Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia confirmed that one of the passengers had been a patient at their facility and was on her way back to her home country.
In a statement, the hospital expressed condolences to the families of the medical crew and pilots who lost their lives, as well as to those affected on the ground. They also thanked first responders for their swift action.
“Shriners Children’s is heartbroken to confirm that one of our pediatric patients and the child’s mother were aboard the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance that crashed in Philadelphia this evening. The patient had received care from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened. Because of patient privacy concerns, we cannot say any more about the patient and her family at this time,” the hospital said.
The plane was bound for Tijuana, with a planned stop in Missouri. All six individuals on board were from Mexico.
Aviation expert Jeff Gold emphasized that the crew was highly experienced and underwent rigorous training. “When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” he told the Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”
