Victims Identified

Authorities have confirmed the identities of several victims:

• Pilot: Alan Montoya
• Co-pilot: Jesús Juárez
• Doctor: Dr. Raul Meza, a neonatology specialist from XE Medica Ambulancias in Mexico
• Pediatric patient: A six-year-old girl who had received treatment at Shriners Children's Hospital in Philadelphia
• Patient’s mother: Name undisclosed
• Additional crew member: Name undisclosed

The flight was scheduled to stop in Springfield, Missouri, before continuing to its final destination in Tijuana, Mexico. However, less than a minute after takeoff, the jet crashed, resulting in a massive explosion that caused extensive damage to nearby structures and vehicles.

Eyewitness Accounts and Emergency Response

Local residents described a terrifying scene, with a fireball erupting on impact and thick smoke rising into the sky. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but there were no survivors among those on board. At least one person on the ground was killed, and 19 others suffered injuries, though most have since been treated and released from local hospitals.

Ongoing Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the crash. Early reports suggest that an engine failure or a bird strike may have played a role, but a full analysis could take weeks.

Growing Aviation Safety Concerns

This crash follows another recent aviation disaster—a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The back-to-back tragedies have raised concerns about air safety, prompting renewed calls for thorough investigations and preventive measures.

As authorities continue their inquiry, families and friends of the victims are mourning their loss in what is now one of Philadelphia’s most devastating aviation accidents in recent history.