Communications with the ambulance Learjet 55 which came down in Philadelphia indicate that the accident occurred just after take-off, as the aircraft was transferred to departure control.
The flight to Springfield, Missouri, had been cleared to take off from runway 24 at Northeast Philadelphia airport – a regional facility some 16nm northeast of the city’s main international airport – a few minutes after 18:00 on 31 January.
It was initially given instructions to turn right onto a heading of 290° and, about 2min later, the crew was told to contact Philadelphia departure control.
The crew responded with the correct frequency and signed off, saying: “Thank you, good day.”
But there is no immediate indication that the crew subsequently reached Philadelphia departure controllers.
Transmissions from the separate Philadelphia north departure frequency, archived by LiveATC, show that a controller from the centre called the aircraft several times, with no response.
Northeast Philadelphia tower also tried to contact the missing Learjet, advising an inbound Bombardier Challenger 350 pilot that the airport was suspending operations.
“We have a lost aircraft, we’re not exactly sure what happened so we’re trying to figure it out,” the controller stated. “For now the field is going to be closed.”
Philadelphia departure control cancelled the Challenger’s approach clearance, offering diversion options including Trenton and the main Philadelphia airport.
The Learjet came down in a suburb about 2.5nm from the end of the take-off runway, close to the extended centreline.
Video images of the accident purportedly captured by surveillance cameras and other systems indicate a high rate of descent.
The flight was operating under the callsign ‘Medservice 056’, associated with air ambulance service Jet Rescue, which has operations in the USA and Mexico. It had arrived from Miami earlier that day.
Jet Rescue’s aircraft are flown by Med Jets, which conducts business under a Mexican air operator’s certificate. Jet Rescue says its fleet includes Learjet 36, 55 and 60 models.
US-based air medical transport company Medjet, in response to the crash, has clarified that it has no connection to Med Jets or the aircraft involved.
