Cockpit Voice Recorder from Philadelphia Plane Crash Failed to Capture Final Moments
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR), often referred to as the "black box," from a plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from a Philadelphia airport, did not record the aircraft’s final moments, investigators revealed in a preliminary report released Thursday. The crash, which occurred on January 31, 2025, resulted in the deaths of seven people, including two pilots, two crew members, 11-year-old pediatric patient Valentina Guzman Murillo, her mother, and a pedestrian on the ground. More than a dozen others were injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the medical Learjet 55, bound for Missouri, crashed in a residential neighborhood, creating a fireball and sending shrapnel flying through the area. The plane was in the air for less than a minute before it went down.
Investigators recovered the voice recorder from under eight feet of dirt and debris. After extensive repair and cleaning, it was discovered that the 30-minute tape-based recording did not capture the accident flight. In fact, the CVR had likely not been recording audio for several years, according to the report.
Murillo, who was traveling to receive life-saving treatment for spina bifida, was accompanied by her mother at the time of the crash. Susan Marie Fasino of His Wings Ranch, an organization that had been assisting the family for the past five years, shared that the plan was to bring Murillo home to live out the rest of her life surrounded by love and her adoring family.
The Learjet 55 took off at 6:06 p.m. and was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. The flight traveled southwest, made a slight right turn, and then turned left, reaching a peak altitude of 1,650 feet before descending. Investigators noted that the plane was in communication with air traffic control, and no distress call was received. It is believed the aircraft struck a commercial sign during its descent, leaving behind a 1,400-foot debris field.
The plane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system, which investigators believe "may contain flight data in its nonvolatile memory," was sent to the manufacturer to determine if any data can be recovered.
The NTSB continues to investigate the cause of the crash.
First responders and investigators were seen at the crash site in the aftermath of the tragedy, working to piece together the events leading up to the disaster. (Photos: AP Photo/Matt Rourke, NTSB)
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