Accident Overview
On January 31, 2025, at 1807 eastern standard time, a Learjet 55 airplane, Mexican registration XA-UCI (call sign MTS056), was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The aircraft was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129 air ambulance flight. The two pilots, two medical crewmembers, and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. One person on the ground sustained fatal injuries, four people were seriously injured, and 20 people incurred minor injuries.
Flight Path
The flight departed runway 24 at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) about 1806, with the intended destination of Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF), Springfield, Missouri. Preliminary ADS-B flight track data from the Federal Aviation Administration showed that the airplane proceeded southwest, then turned right slightly and entered a gradual left turn. It continued in the left turn, reaching an altitude of 1,650 ft mean sea level (airport elevation 119 ft). The track data ended at 1807, at 1,275 ft msl, and at 242 knots ground speed. The flight duration was about one minute.
Communication and Impact
The flight crew was in communication with the PNE air traffic control tower at the time of the accident; no distress calls were received. The airplane initially impacted a concrete sidewalk in a residential and commercial area. Security camera videos showed a large explosion associated with the initial impact. The wreckage debris field was about 1,410 ft in length and 840 ft wide, oriented on a magnetic heading of about 150°. The airplane impacted a commercial sign during its descent, with a calculated descent angle of about 22° based on the damage height. The wreckage was highly fragmented and penetrated numerous homes, commercial buildings, and vehicles, resulting in extensive fire and impact damage.
Recordings and Data
The airplane was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which was recovered from the initial impact crater under 8 ft of soil and debris. It was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for processing. The recorder displayed significant impact damage and liquid ingress. After repair and cleaning, the 30-minute tape-based recording was auditioned; it did not record the accident flight and had likely not been recording audio for several years. The airplane was also equipped with an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) computer, which may contain flight data in nonvolatile memory. It was shipped to the manufacturer for evaluation, which was ongoing at the time of the report.
Weather Conditions
Night, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at PNE at the time of the accident: overcast ceiling at 400 ft above ground level, wind from 220° at 9 knots, and 6 statute miles visibility.
Crew Information
The pilot-in-command held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land and instrument airplane, and a medical certificate issued by Mexico’s Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil (AFAC). He had 9,200 total flight hours. The second-in-command held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument privileges, and an AFAC medical certificate, with 2,600 total flight hours. Both pilots held a type rating for the Learjet 55.
Ongoing Investigation
The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination. The NTSB continues to investigate.