No Voice Recording From Medical Jet Crash: Ntsb Releases Preliminary Report

Multiple recent US plane crashes investigated by NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating multiple deadly plane crashes, including ones in Alaska, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

The National Transportation Safety Board released its investigation findings on the fatal plane crash in Philadelphia on Jan. 31 in a preliminary report Thursday.

A medical transport Learjet 55 crashed into a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to the report. The aircraft, registered in Mexico, was on an air ambulance flight to Springfield, Missouri. 

The incident killed all six people onboard and one person on the ground while injuring 24 others and leaving wreckage amongst homes and buildings.

Preliminary flight data showed that after departing from Runway 24 at 6:06 p.m., the jet climbed to 1,650 feet before entering a left turn and descending rapidly. The last recorded altitude was 1,275 feet at a speed of 242 knots.

There were no distress calls from the pilots before impact. Surveillance footage captured a large explosion at the crash site, and debris scattered over a 1,400-foot area, damaging multiple homes, businesses, and vehicles.

Investigators retrieved the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder, which was buried under eight feet of debris. However, it's likely it had not been recording audio for years.

The aircraft’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) has been shipped back to its manufacturer to be evaluated for any relevant flight data.