Two bills that would help people and businesses impacted by the medical jet crash in Northeast Philadelphia cleared the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, according to the bills’ sponsor, state Rep. Jared Solomon.
On Jan. 31, Med Jets Flight 056 crashed in and around the Castor Gardens neighborhood. Solomon, who serves as the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee’s chairman, introduced legislation (H.B. 1001 and H.B. 877) in response to the tragic crash.
House Bill 877 would provide targeted grants and loans to businesses impacted by the crash. Under the bill, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority would issue grants to community development financial institutions to provide technical assistance, training and other support to affected businesses. CDFIs would also be able to provide loans to those businesses to help them repair and reopen.
“As we look to rebuild a thriving thoroughfare of our city, we are focused on many recovery efforts, including ensuring our businesses can reclaim their footing and reopen as quickly as possible,” Solomon said.
Additionally, H.B. 1001 would exclude recovery payments related to the Med Jets Flight 056 crash from state income for tax purposes.
“It’s important that impacted residents and businesses are able to get back on their feet,” Solomon said. “This bill would ensure that recovery payments are sent in full to the victims of this tragedy.”
The bills were sent to the full House for consideration.
As for the crash, which took place on Cottman Avenue, near Roosevelt Mall, the airplane was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, which was recovered from the initial impact crater under 8 feet of soil and debris and was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, D.C., for processing and readout.
After extensive repair and cleaning, the 30-minute-long tape-based recording medium revealed it did not record the accident flight and had likely not been recording audio for several years, according to a preliminary report issued by the NTSB.
The Learjet 55 air ambulance was destroyed when it crashed at 6:07 p.m.
The two pilots, two medical crewmembers and two passengers died, including a girl who had just completed treatment at Shriners Hospital for Children and her mother.
Steven Dreuitt, 37, was killed inside a vehicle when the crash happened. Four people were seriously injured and 20 incurred minor injuries.
Flight track data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration revealed the flight departed runway 24 at Northeast Philadelphia Airport about 6:06 p.m., with the intended destination of Springfield-Branson National Airport, Springfield, Missouri, before its final destination in Tijuana, Mexico.
The airplane proceeded to the southwest before it turned right slightly and then entered a gradual left turn. The airplane continued in the left turn and reached an altitude of 1,650 feet.
There were no distress calls received from the flight crew.
The airplane initially impacted a commercial sign before crashing into a concrete sidewalk.
Security camera videos depicted a large explosion associated with the initial impact. The wreckage debris field was about 1,410 feet in length and 840 feet wide.
Wreckage and debris penetrated numerous homes, commercial buildings and vehicles in the area, resulting in extensive fire and impact damage. ••
