Chilling photos of the voice recorder recovered from eight feel below the Philadelphia plane crash site have been revealed.
The Learjet 55 aircraft left the Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening before it crashed along Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia killing seven and injuring more than 20 people.
The aircraft had been transporting 11-yearold Valentia Guzman Murillo and her mother, 31-year-old Lizeth Murillo, to Missouri before carrying on back to Mexico after she had undergone life-saving treatment in the US.
Investigators hoped to find answers from the voice recording box, which was found eight feet underground at the site of impact that left a crater in the middle of the northeastern Philadelphia street.
Now, photos released on X by NTSB Newsroom reveal the tattered state the voice recorder was in after being recovered from the crater.
In the minutes leading up to the crash, air traffic control was heard speaking with the air ambulance, including asking the pilot ‘what frequency’ they were on.
Social media debated the next part of their conversation, as sharp-eared listeners said they could hear one side saying the other was ‘talking with the wrong people.’
A few seconds after that remark, an ominous moan could be heard coming from what several social media user believed was the cockpit. Officials have not revealed what caused the crash, and an investigation is ongoing.
After a brief pause, an air traffic controller asked, ‘What’s going on down there?’, to which another dispatcher answered: ‘We have a lost aircraft.’
Investigators hoped to find answers from the voice recording box which was found eight feet underground at the site of impact, which left a crater in the middle of the northeastern Philadelphia street
The Learjet 55 aircraft left the Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening before it crashed along Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia killing seven and injuring more than 20 people
The aircraft had been transporting 11-yearold Valentia Guzman Murillo and her mother, 31-year-old Lizeth Murillo, to Missouri before carrying on back to Mexico after she had undergone life-saving treatment in the US
‘We’re not exactly sure what happened, we’re trying to figure it out,’ they added. ‘For now, the field is going to be closed.’
The aircraft, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, was bound for Tijuana, Mexico, with a stop at Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
The crash site, near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard, quickly became engulfed in flames, with buildings and vehicles caught in the inferno.
Shai Gold, a spokesman for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, confirmed the heartbreaking news, stating how the young girl had fought tirelessly to survive her illness.
‘She did her course of care. She was going home,’ Gold said. ‘She fought quite a lot to survive, and unfortunately, this tragedy on the way home.’
In addition to Valentina, on board the ill-fated flight were Lizeth, pilot Alan Alejandro Montoya Perale, co-pilot Josué Juárez of Veracruz, doctor Raúl Meza and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, each of whom had dedicated themselves to ensuring the child’s safe return.
All of the victims had been on their way home to Tijuana, Mexico.
Jet Air Ambulance said Valentina Guzman Murillo was the young patient receiving treatment in Philadelphia, and was accompanied by her mother Lizeth Murillo Ozuna
Pictured: Captain Alan Montoya Perales, left, and Co-Pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, members of the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance team who died Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport in Philadelphia
Pictured: Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, a member of the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance team who died in the crash on Friday
Pictured: Paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, a member of the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance team who died in the crash on Friday
A seventh victim was killed inside a car as debris from the Learjet 55 exploded, damaging nearby homes. That victim has not yet been identified.
‘It’s extremely hard and extremely difficult, those that were involved directly in her care were very aware that she was going to be traveling home and there had actually been a sendoff for her today,’ Mel Bower, a spokesperson for Shriners Children’s Philadelphia Hospital, said on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the number of people injured from the crash rose to 22, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced on Sunday.
Five remained in the hospital, and three were left in critical condition.
At least 11 homes were significantly damaged in the explosion, along with some businesses, Parker said Sunday.
But local officials warned there could be even more victims, as they urged residents to check on their neighbors.
‘If there is somebody who you think may have been in the area and they’re missing and they haven’t checked in and you can’t reach them or they live there, call 911,’ city managing director Adam Thiel pleaded.
He noted that the joint investigation team, comprising nearly 30 local, state and federal agencies, remain on the ground to assess the damage.
The number of people injured from the crash rose to 22, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced Sunday. Five remained in the hospital, and three were left in critical condition. At least 11 homes were significantly damaged in the explosion, along with some businesses
It’s extremely hard and extremely difficult, those that were involved directly in her care were very aware that she was going to be traveling home and there had actually been a sendoff for her today,’ Mel Bower, a spokesperson for Shriners Children’s Philadelphia Hospital, said on Friday night
‘They have a lot of processing yet to do of the scene,’ Thiel said. ‘We have not yet recovered everything we need to recover from the scene.’
Parker also announced that officials were going door to door to seek information from neighborhood residents.
In the meantime, she urged patience.
‘It’s in times of crisis when you should remember who you are, and we have to remember what defines Philadelphia,’ the mayor said, according to WHYY.
‘We are a strong people, a resilient people who clearly understand how and why it is so important that we take care of each other.’