Aerial views show a gaping crater at site of Northeast Philly plane crash

Fallon Roth and Miguel Martinez, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Feb 2, 2025

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An aerial view of the area near the site of the plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia that killed seven people Friday shows a gaping crater close to the entrance of Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue as response personnel, some in blue work suits, attend to the damage.

The medical transport plane took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and crashed on Cottman Avenue near Roosevelt Boulevard, killing six Mexican nationals on board and one person who was in a car. A girl who had received crucial treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia — and left a profound impact on fellow patients and staff there — was on board the plane with her mother, traveling back to her home country.

At least 19 people on the ground in the diverse, dense neighborhood were injured, said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

Six houses and an unknown number of cars near the crash site caught fire.

On Saturday afternoon, the ash-dusted streets near where the plane fell from the sky were emptied of residents as workers in hard hats and protective gear examined a damaged vehicle on Cottman Avenue.

Portions of Cottman and Bustleton Avenues and Roosevelt Boulevard remained blocked off Saturday as investigators continued to examine the scene. Police were stationed at the end of each block.

Ralph Hicks, the senior National Transportation Safety Board investigator who is leading the investigation into the crash, said at a news conference Saturday that GPS data showed the plane climbed about 1,500 feet before plummeting to the ground. The medical jet was in the air for less than a minute before its terrifying descent.

Philadelphia Managing Director Adam K. Thiel said debris may have fallen from the jet before it hit the ground and that the area of impact stretched four to six blocks.

“We also have debris in remote area where something happened with the aircraft,” Thiel said at a Saturday morning news conference. “That’s something we’ll need to leave to the NTSB to talk about.”

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