A Philadelphia father is calling his son a “superhero” for shielding his younger sister when a medevac jet crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood, showering flames and debris on homes and the vehicle in which the family was riding. The boy suffered a serious head wound and is recovering.Andre Howard Jr. picked up his three children from school last Friday and took them to Dunkin’ Donuts for an evening snack. The weekly family ritual was upended when the plane crashed nearby, killing all six on board, including a mother and daughter returning to Mexico from medical treatment. A person on the ground was killed and more than two dozen others were injured.“A really loud boom, and we saw a fireball that covered the whole entire sky,” Howard told CNN on Monday.Howard said he put his truck in reverse to avoid the debris and could see cars engulfed in flames, a man on fire and people flying through the air.Amid the chaos and panic, Howard said he heard his 10-year-old son Andre III tell his 4-year-old sister, Ayura, to get down, then dove on top of her to shield the girl from the flying debris.When he checked the back seat, Howard said, he saw his daughter and another son, 7, were OK, but Andre had a piece of metal lodged in the right side of his head.“I see my unconscious son with a piece of metal in his head. I got out of the truck and put a sock on his head, and as I moved him, the metal piece fell, and he was gushing out blood,” Howard told CNN while fighting back tears.A man came over and gave him his shirt to help stanch bleeding, Howard said. A woman looked after the other children while Howard tended to Andre.Howard said the medical team at the hospital explained there was a possibility Andre would never be able to walk again, and his vision could be impaired. “They gave us the roundup of everything that could happen,” Howard said.Following surgery and a CAT scan, Andre III was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in stable condition. Since then, he’s been making progress. He’s expected to walk and his vision is fine, his father said.Howard said that when Andre awoke the first thing he did was ask about Ayura. “Did I save her from the crash?” the boy asked.“Andre is my superhero,” Howard said. “As a dad, I’ve always instilled in them to protect your sister when daddy is not around. And I’m grateful to have a son like Andre.”Two dozen were injured on the ground, and at least one diedAll six people aboard the twin-engine medevac were killed when it crashed, along with one person in a car on the ground. At least 24 people on the ground were injured, and four remain hospitalized, Mayor Cherelle Parker said Monday.Local and state officials continued to caution they are not ready to say the death toll will remain at seven.While highlighting the cooperative efforts among government agencies, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro noted Monday there are people “right now who are going through DNA,” in addition to others who have been combing the scene for more evidence.Officials have emphasized for days if there are people local residents fear are missing and may have been in the area, they should get in touch with police as soon as possible.Six who died on plane included a childThe six onboard were Mexican nationals, including a child who had been treated for an illness at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and her mother, officials said. They were returning home to Mexico after the girl’s treatment, with the flight’s final destination set for Tijuana.The mayor of Ensenada, in the Mexican state of Baja California, identified Lizeth Murillo Osuna and her daughter, Valentina Guzmán Murillo, as two of the victims.“My sincere condolences and wishes of a prompt resignation to their families and loved ones,” Mayor Claudia Agatón Muñiz said. She didn’t provide the ages of those killed.Hours before the crash, staff at the hospital held a sendoff gathering for the pediatric patient’s flight home.Caregivers, staff and patients joined together to “wish her well on her journey and to punctuate her time at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia as meaningful and impactful,” chief marketing and communications officer Mel Bower told CNN.The young girl formed close bonds with other patients, and all the staff that knew her, Bower said. “She will be remembered for her sweet spirit, and we will take that spirit with us as we go forward.”Valentina was receiving treatment for a spinal condition, said Susan Marie Fasino, the founder of the organization His Wings Ranch, which was helping the family access treatment.The young girl was receiving care for a pressure sore related to her spina bifida condition, Fasino said, adding that she had faced numerous health challenges and was very frail.Fasino remembered Osuna as “the most adoring, attentive mother a child could ever have.” She emphasized how the mom “literally never left her side.”She described their deaths as an an “extremely painful and devastating time for all of us.”The Mexican Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the victims when contacted by CNN.The four crew members killed in the crash were identified by the flight operator on Sunday.The aircraft had been piloted by Capt. Alan Montoya Perales, 46, and co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez, 43, a spokesperson for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance told CNN.They were accompanied by Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, both 41, the spokesperson said.Investigators looking for answersThe Learjet 55 had just taken off and was in flight for less than a minute when it crashed into a residential neighborhood, authorities said, engulfing five homes and multiple vehicles in flames and covering the area with debris.Photos and videos from the crash show houses with burning roofs and smoke billowing out. Some businesses were also damaged. The next day, the area was cordoned off, with blackened cars left on the road.The flight crew was extremely experienced and the aircraft was well-maintained, Shai Gold, a spokesperson for the flight operator Jet Rescue Air Ambulance told CNN on Saturday, adding the company was cooperating with authorities.NTSB investigators have recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) – also referred to as a ‘black box’ the agency said in a statement.“The CVR was located at the site of initial impact, at a depth of 8 feet. NTSB investigators also recovered the airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which could also contain flight data,” it said.The systems will now be evaluated, the NTSB said. Investigators have also recovered both engines, spoken to witnesses and obtained surveillance videos, it said.Investigators have been collecting debris from the crash site, which spans four to six blocks, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference over the weekend.“We don’t have a data recorder on this aircraft, but there is an enhanced ground proximity warning system. Information can come off that device, whether it’s the speed or location of the aircraft, we will be able to get some data, hopefully off that device,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference with local officials Monday.Duffy took a moment to praise local leaders for their response thus far, specifically the mayor and Shapiro. “I saw what she was doing through this crisis, and the kind of leadership that she has offered in Philadelphia has been remarkable,” Duffy said.Shapiro praised the unified response of local, state and federal officials over the weekend.“We saw neighbor helping neighbor,” Shapiro said. “We know that there will be loss in this region and we want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those who are grieving.”
A Philadelphia father is calling his son a “superhero” for shielding his younger sister when a medevac jet crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood, showering flames and debris on homes and the vehicle in which the family was riding. The boy suffered a serious head wound and is recovering.
Andre Howard Jr. picked up his three children from school last Friday and took them to Dunkin’ Donuts for an evening snack. The weekly family ritual was upended when the plane crashed nearby, killing all six on board, including a mother and daughter returning to Mexico from medical treatment. A person on the ground was killed and more than two dozen others were injured.
“A really loud boom, and we saw a fireball that covered the whole entire sky,” Howard told CNN on Monday.
Howard said he put his truck in reverse to avoid the debris and could see cars engulfed in flames, a man on fire and people flying through the air.
Amid the chaos and panic, Howard said he heard his 10-year-old son Andre III tell his 4-year-old sister, Ayura, to get down, then dove on top of her to shield the girl from the flying debris.
When he checked the back seat, Howard said, he saw his daughter and another son, 7, were OK, but Andre had a piece of metal lodged in the right side of his head.
“I see my unconscious son with a piece of metal in his head. I got out of the truck and put a sock on his head, and as I moved him, the metal piece fell, and he was gushing out blood,” Howard told CNN while fighting back tears.
A man came over and gave him his shirt to help stanch bleeding, Howard said. A woman looked after the other children while Howard tended to Andre.
Howard said the medical team at the hospital explained there was a possibility Andre would never be able to walk again, and his vision could be impaired. “They gave us the roundup of everything that could happen,” Howard said.
Following surgery and a CAT scan, Andre III was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in stable condition. Since then, he’s been making progress. He’s expected to walk and his vision is fine, his father said.
Howard said that when Andre awoke the first thing he did was ask about Ayura. “Did I save her from the crash?” the boy asked.
“Andre is my superhero,” Howard said. “As a dad, I’ve always instilled in them [his two sons] to protect your sister when daddy is not around. And I’m grateful to have a son like Andre.”
Two dozen were injured on the ground, and at least one died
All six people aboard the twin-engine medevac were killed when it crashed, along with one person in a car on the ground. At least 24 people on the ground were injured, and four remain hospitalized, Mayor Cherelle Parker said Monday.
Local and state officials continued to caution they are not ready to say the death toll will remain at seven.
While highlighting the cooperative efforts among government agencies, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro noted Monday there are people “right now who are going through DNA,” in addition to others who have been combing the scene for more evidence.
Officials have emphasized for days if there are people local residents fear are missing and may have been in the area, they should get in touch with police as soon as possible.
Six who died on plane included a child
The six onboard were Mexican nationals, including a child who had been treated for an illness at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and her mother, officials said. They were returning home to Mexico after the girl’s treatment, with the flight’s final destination set for Tijuana.
The mayor of Ensenada, in the Mexican state of Baja California, identified Lizeth Murillo Osuna and her daughter, Valentina Guzmán Murillo, as two of the victims.
“My sincere condolences and wishes of a prompt resignation to their families and loved ones,” Mayor Claudia Agatón Muñiz said. She didn’t provide the ages of those killed.
Hours before the crash, staff at the hospital held a sendoff gathering for the pediatric patient’s flight home.
Caregivers, staff and patients joined together to “wish her well on her journey and to punctuate her time at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia as meaningful and impactful,” chief marketing and communications officer Mel Bower told CNN.
The young girl formed close bonds with other patients, and all the staff that knew her, Bower said. “She will be remembered for her sweet spirit, and we will take that spirit with us as we go forward.”
Valentina was receiving treatment for a spinal condition, said Susan Marie Fasino, the founder of the organization His Wings Ranch, which was helping the family access treatment.
The young girl was receiving care for a pressure sore related to her spina bifida condition, Fasino said, adding that she had faced numerous health challenges and was very frail.
Fasino remembered Osuna as “the most adoring, attentive mother a child could ever have.” She emphasized how the mom “literally never left her side.”
She described their deaths as an an “extremely painful and devastating time for all of us.”
The Mexican Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the victims when contacted by CNN.
The four crew members killed in the crash were identified by the flight operator on Sunday.
The aircraft had been piloted by Capt. Alan Montoya Perales, 46, and co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez, 43, a spokesperson for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance told CNN.
They were accompanied by Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, both 41, the spokesperson said.
Investigators looking for answers
The Learjet 55 had just taken off and was in flight for less than a minute when it crashed into a residential neighborhood, authorities said, engulfing five homes and multiple vehicles in flames and covering the area with debris.
Photos and videos from the crash show houses with burning roofs and smoke billowing out. Some businesses were also damaged. The next day, the area was cordoned off, with blackened cars left on the road.
The flight crew was extremely experienced and the aircraft was well-maintained, Shai Gold, a spokesperson for the flight operator Jet Rescue Air Ambulance told CNN on Saturday, adding the company was cooperating with authorities.
NTSB investigators have recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) – also referred to as a ‘black box’ the agency said in a statement.
“The CVR was located at the site of initial impact, at a depth of 8 feet. NTSB investigators also recovered the airplane’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which could also contain flight data,” it said.
The systems will now be evaluated, the NTSB said. Investigators have also recovered both engines, spoken to witnesses and obtained surveillance videos, it said.
Investigators have been collecting debris from the crash site, which spans four to six blocks, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference over the weekend.
“We don’t have a data recorder on this aircraft, but there is an enhanced ground proximity warning system. Information can come off that device, whether it’s the speed or location of the aircraft, we will be able to get some data, hopefully off that device,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference with local officials Monday.
Duffy took a moment to praise local leaders for their response thus far, specifically the mayor and Shapiro. “I saw what she was doing through this crisis, and the kind of leadership that she has offered in Philadelphia has been remarkable,” Duffy said.
Shapiro praised the unified response of local, state and federal officials over the weekend.
“We saw neighbor helping neighbor,” Shapiro said. “We know that there will be loss in this region and we want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those who are grieving.”
