The identities of the pilot, copilot and one of the doctors aboard the medical transport flight that tragically crashed in a fiery explosion in Northeast Philadelphia on Friday night have been revealed. The pilot was identified as Alan Montoya and the copilot as Jesús Juárez.
They were among seven fatalities when the Learjet 55 they were flying, carrying a young girl who had just received “life-saving care” at a Philadelphia hospital, her mother and two doctors, plummeted into a bustling intersection, claiming the lives of all six passengers and another individual in a nearby car at the crash site. One of the doctors was named as Dr. Raul Meza, according to XE Médica Ambulancia, a Mexican emergency service.
The group posted on X, “Dr. Raúl Meza was part of [the] crew in the air ambulance XA-UCI belonging to another company where [he] also provides his professional services.”
Meza served as their chief of neonatology. An additional 19 people were injured, stated Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, addressing reporters during a press briefing shortly before midday on Saturday.
However, she stressed that these figures are not final, as the ongoing investigation may reveal more casualties, reports The Mirror Us.
The cause of the fatal crash remains unknown as authorities comb through the wreckage for clues. The public has been urged to steer clear of the area due to dangerous debris, including oxygen tanks.
Philadelphia’s Managing Director, Adam Thiel, and Parker have also asked anyone who may have evidence on their vehicles or personal items to dial 911 if they discover anything, but crucially, not to touch it.
It is unclear what illness the young girl was suffering from, but she had reportedly just been discharged from a Philadelphia hospital and was returning to Tijuana with her family when the plane crashed, killing everyone onboard. The jet was scheduled to stop in Missouri before continuing to Tijuana.
The explosion reportedly caused five houses in the residential area to catch fire, although authorities quickly extinguished the flames. CCTV footage from a nearby diner shows customers being struck by shrapnel, with one man hit in the head by a flying piece of debris that knocked his hat off.
The condition of the 19 individuals injured in the crash remains uncertain, but officials, including Thiel, have indicated several were transported to local hospitals. All six passengers on the ill-fated aircraft hailed from Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum extended her sympathies, posting on Twitter: “I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia, United States. The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families; I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.”