Preliminary Report Issued On Philly Plane Crash That Killed 7

PHILADELPHIA — The National Transportation Safety Board said the device intended to record radio transmissions and sounds in the cockpit of planes onboard the ill-fated plane that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia in late January was not active.

The National Transportation Safety Board Thursday released its preliminary report on the Jan. 31 crash that killed six people on board and one person on the ground. The crash also hurt 24 people on the ground.

Among findings in the report is the fact that the cockpit voice recorder did not record the doomed flight, and had likely not been recording audio for several years.

Investigators said the voice recorder was found under 8 feet of soil and debris at the crash site. The crash site, according to the NTSB, was 1,410 feet long and 840 feet wide.

The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, was also equipped with an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System. Investigators said that system may contain flight data in its nonvolatile memory. It was shipped to the manufacturer’s facility for evaluation and to determine whether any relevant flight data could be recovered.

Investigators also found the pilot-in-command held an airline transport pilot certificate, as well as a medical certificate issued by Mexico’s Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. He also had 9,200 hours of flight experience.

The second-in-command pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument privileges. He also held a medical certificate issued by the Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. The operator reported that he had 2,600 hours of flight experience.

While these aspects provide some insight to the crash, the cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

Wreckage recovered from the crash site is being retained for more examination, investigators said.

A pediatric patient and her mother traveling back to Mexico after receiving medical treatment in the United States were among the six people who died in the plane crash. The other four occupants were crew members.

A person in a car was also killed.

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