NTSB Preliminary Report Reveals Medical Jet's Voice Recorder Was Inoperative in Fatal Philadelphia Crash

The January crash killed seven people, injured over two dozen, and caused extensive damage to homes and businesses, with investigators still examining potential causes.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed the cockpit voice recorder on the medical transport Learjet 55 was not functioning and likely had been inoperative for years.
The plane crashed into a residential and commercial area shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport on January 31, killing all six onboard and one person on the ground.
The crash caused a massive fireball, destroyed or damaged over a dozen homes and businesses, and left at least 24 people injured, including a severely burned 9-year-old boy.
Investigators recovered the voice recorder and ground warning system but found no audio from the flight, with the debris field spanning over 1,400 feet in length.
This incident follows a series of recent aviation disasters, raising concerns about flight safety, though the NTSB has not yet determined the cause of the crash.

The Philadelphia Inquirer