U.S. transportation secretary tours Philadelphia plane crash site; number of injured increases to 24
The number of people injured has increased from 22 to 24 after a medical jet crashed into the ground in Northeast Philadelphia, officials said. The death toll remains at seven.
The number of wounded went up because there was a firefighter who had a heart attack and a police officer who suffered smoke inhalation in the incident, city spokesperson Joe Grace said.
State and federal authorities are promising their full support as the neighborhood recovers from the devastation.
During a tour of the damage on Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy got an up-close look at the crater in the ground at the site of impact.
"If you look at the impact and how deep that crater is, it was a very steep angle at which that aircraft came down," Duffy said.
On Tuesday, city officials said the National Transportation Safety Board had finished its work onsite.
The Learjet 55 was on its way from Northeast Philadelphia Airport to Springfield, Missouri, Friday night when it crashed near Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue shortly after takeoff.
All six people on board, including two pilots, a pediatrician and a paramedic, were killed, along with a girl and her mother. The girl had finished treatment at Shriners Children's Hospital and was on her way home to Mexico.
"There is in no way, shape or form anything that we could have done to prepare for what I've described as the worst black swan event that the city of Philadelphia has encountered," Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said.
Parker said four of the 24 people injured remain hospitalized. Two are now stable and two remain in critical condition, she said.
Two of the people gravely wounded were in the same car as the man who was killed, according to Grace.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said it could have been even worse.
"A millisecond difference could have claimed many more lives in our community," Shapiro said. "Thank God it didn't."
A total of 343 residential properties were impacted in some way by this catastrophe, Grace said, which is also taking an economic toll on the region. The number of businesses affected is unknown, but Roosevelt Mall and several mom-and-pop shops remain closed.
Duffy said the black box recovered from the scene is on its way back to Washington, D.C. for processing. He said it will be a challenging investigation as the NTSB works to determine what caused the crash.
"They're going to look at weather," Duffy said. "Was there medical concerns, was there technical or mechanical issues on the airplane?"
A makeshift memorial in honor of the victims is growing at the intersection of Cottman and Bustleton avenues. A vigil has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Parker said there will be a town hall at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Solomon Solis-Cohen School located at 7001 Horrocks Street in Philadelphia. During the meeting, people can learn more about mental health and other resources available.
"Mentally I'm not there"
Neighbors in Northeast Philadelphia have a long cleanup ahead of them after the small plane crashed onto Cottman Avenue as heaps of debris remain at the scene. For Alexis Lloyd, her home near the corner of Cottman and Rupert Street may never fully recover.
"[It's] traumatizing to see what I've seen. The people I seen outside my house," said Lloyd, who did not want to show her face on camera but spoke with CBS News Philadelphia near the scene on Monday.
Lloyd walked us through last Friday night, calling it "ordinary." She said she was in her kitchen when the plane came down.
"I was about to cook steak and French fries. So I'm bending down by my kitchen to put trash in. Then I just hear boom! The house just blew in," Lloyd said.
Lloyd believes had she not been bending down at the time, she very well could have been hit by debris.
Lloyd described the next few moments as chaos, thinking there was some sort of gas explosion in the neighborhood.
"As we got out the house, Cottman was engulfed in flames from Rupert to ... I forget the other street. Just engulfed in flames," Lloyd said.
As the dust settled, Lloyd described a gruesome discovery. She said firefighters told her about human remains found in her home.
"They didn't know who was splattered. They thought it was the homeowner. They didn't know who that was in the living room. They thought it was me," Lloyd said.
Lloyd says she feels thankful to have made it out alive and that her 7-year-old daughter wasn't home at the time of the crash. But she did run out of the house as quickly as she could, leaving all of their possessions behind.
On Monday, Lloyd returned to the home. But she said she was still unable to get in or have access to her car.
"[I] can't even get in the house. So we don't have anything, just the clothes on our back," Lloyd said.
But she said the community has stepped in to help. Lloyd said they have received clothing donations, and a school donated uniforms for her daughter.
"I'm a very private person. So I'm, like, overwhelmed by all the support. It just shows people actually care," Lloyd said.
She hopes those donations continue, and not just to her. Lloyd says there are many people in need after Friday's crash damaged so many homes.
"Support the other families that have not come forward. That would help a lot as well," Lloyd said.
While Lloyd said things can be replaced, she's happy to have walked away alive and physically unharmed. Still, she knows the things she saw last Friday will stay with her for some time.
"Mentally I'm not there. I feel off. Like I'm here but I'm not here," Lloyd said, breaking down into tears.
After Northeast Philadelphia plane crash, businesses step up
Along with neighbors, businesses are also working to heal following last Friday's tragic medical jet crash.
As of now, the Roosevelt Mall and other businesses within the crash site remain closed as investigators continue to sift through the damage.
The Roosevelt Mall underwent a major $50 million renovation, but recent events have brought the community together in a way no one expected.
City officials said this neighborhood, once thriving, is now facing an unthinkable tragedy.
Jason Magowan, one of the managers of Steve's Prince of Steaks, a local favorite on the corner of Bustleton Avenue and St. Vincent Street, said the impact of the crash "shook" the whole neighborhood. He's still processing it.
"You pull up to a stop sign, you look left and right, nobody looks up and down. I can't even believe it," Magowan said.
Despite the devastation, the neighborhood is showing its resilience.
"Half of the neighborhood is shut down, it's hard to get around, but the people in the neighborhood are tough, they're resilient," Magowan said.
Steve's has been a staple in the community since 1980, and the cheesesteak shop is continuing to serve not only local residents but also first responders who are working tirelessly in the aftermath.
"All the people that have come in; everybody from the NTSB, the investigators, the gas department, the firefighters, our local police," Magowan said.
On Sunday, Philadelphia police reopened the outer lanes of Roosevelt Boulevard in both directions, though Cottman Avenue remains closed as the investigation continues.
"A tragedy brings out the best in people," said City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, whose district includes the crash site.
Driscoll said that while the area is still a crime scene, efforts are underway to restore normalcy.
"They want to get this mall back open, they want to get the people that work here back earning a living," Driscoll said.
Driscoll and the city are still assessing the number of businesses impacted by the crash and are committed to helping those affected.
"We're going to communicate to them through our commerce department. Whatever losses, I can't speak to that yet, but we hope we have resources for them," Driscoll said.
As the community continues to process the loss, both Driscoll and Magowan are reminded of the strength of Northeast Philadelphia's spirit.
"Neighbors helping neighbors, businesses helping businesses, that's Northeast Philadelphia," Driscoll said.
Magowan, too, believes the city will begin to heal as it looks toward brighter days.
"Philly is in the Super Bowl, they will get some excitement next week and people will start to heal," Magowan said.
The Salvation Army was also on the scene roughly 30 minutes after the medical jet crashed as first responders rushed to the scene.
As of Sunday night, the Salvation Army had served 1,500 meals, handed out 4,000 drinks and distributed more than 1,600 handwarmers to police, firefighters, first responders, displaced residents and more.
"I talked to a police officer last night. One of them said he's been on details like this and he said, 'If you guys weren't out here, it would be miserable," said Erik Johnson, who is the Salvation Army's assistant director of the emergency disaster services department for Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. "So, we get a lot of thankfulness from the first responders when we come out."
Shriners Children's Philadelphia grieving loss of young patient
The staff at Shriners Children's Philadelphia is grieving the loss of their young patient, her mother and the crew, who were all heading home to Mexico after the girl's treatment.
"Obviously whenever a tragedy such as this occurs, everybody feels it on any level, whether you're involved directly with a particular patient or if you know somebody who was directly involved, and although everybody is devastated, we're really coming together as a community to really help each other get through this difficult time," Dr. Amer Samdani, chief of staff, said.
Shriners treats children from 170 countries, Samdani said.