‘Old, Unsafe, Uninspected’: Philly Jet Fireball Killing 8 Was Preventable, Federal Lawsuit Says

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

The families of two victims killed when an air ambulance exploded into a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the aircraft was dangerously old, poorly maintained, and never should have been flying, according to the documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

1983 Learjet ‘Should Not Have Been In Service,’ Families Say

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Monday, Nov. 17, by the estates of Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, a pediatrician, and Lizeth Murillo Osuna, the mother of Valentina Guzman Murillo, a child patient being flown home to Mexico after treatment in Philadelphia. Both were among the six people onboard the Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday, Jan. 31.

“This antiquated aircraft was built in 1983 and should not have been in service,” the families said in the 76-page complaint, filed in Eastern District Court. “Defendants knew, or should have known, that the aircraft was unsafe to operate.”

'Explosion Engulfed Vehicles, Homes, And Bystanders'

About one minute after takeoff, the plane plunged into a neighborhood near Roosevelt Mall, bursting into flames upon impact. The lawsuit says the crash created “a massive explosion that engulfed multiple vehicles and houses and sent fiery debris raining down on terrified and helpless bystanders.”

The flight path

Courtesy of the federal lawsuit against Jet Rescue Air Ambulance

All six passengers and crew members aboard were killed: pilot Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, flight paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, and Dr. Arredondo, as well as Osuna and her daughter.

Two people on the ground also died: Steven Dreuitt, a father from Philadelphia, and his partner Dominique Goods-Burke, a High Point Café baker and mother of three. Goods-Burke died three months later after suffering severe burns.

The crash 

Courtesy of the federal lawsuit against Jet Rescue Air Ambulance

The crash injured 24 people, many seriously, and damaged 343 homes as Daily Voice previously reported.

Defendants Named In Suit

The families are suing Med Jets, S.A. de C.V., the Guadalajara-based parent company of Jet Rescue, and several unnamed defendants involved in the aircraft’s design, manufacture, maintenance, repair, inspection, supervision, and control. 

Post-crash investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) discovered that the Med Jets Flight 056 cockpit voice recorder did not record the accident flight and in fact had likely not recorded audio for several years. NTSB also noted that no distress call was made before the crash.

The crater caused by the crash and the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder.

Courtesy of the federal lawsuit against Jet Rescue Air Ambulance

Crash Jet Was Over 40 Years Old

The Learjet 55 that crashed was manufactured in 1983, making it more than 40 years old. In their complaint, the families say the aircraft's age should have disqualified it from active service.

The FAA's Aging Aircraft Safety Rule requires mandatory structural inspections and records reviews for aging aircraft operated by air carriers, especially those under FAR parts 121, 129, and 135 — which include medical flights like the one operated by Jet Rescue.

The Learjet 55 Jet Rescue Air Ambulance 

Courtesy of the federal lawsuit against Jet Rescue Air Ambulance

While the FAA doesn’t automatically ground older aircraft, airworthiness is determined through regular maintenance, compliance with safety directives, and thorough inspections. The suit claims Jet Rescue failed to meet these standards and knowingly flew an “unsafe, outdated aircraft” over densely populated areas.

“The public would be shocked to learn that a 40-year-old Learjet was being used to fly pediatric patients on medical repatriation missions across international borders,” the plaintiffs allege.

'Preventable' Tragedy

The families’ attorneys argue that the crash was “completely preventable” and that Jet Rescue was reckless in placing the victims aboard a plane with a “known history of mechanical and maintenance problems.”

Their complaint alleges the defendants failed to properly monitor critical systems, ensure pilot qualifications, and verify aircraft fitness.

Families Seek Damages For Negligence, Pain And Suffering

The lawsuit was filed by Jonathan W. Levine of Stark & Stark, P.C. and David Rapoport of Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. on behalf of the victims’ estates. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages for:

• Pain and suffering before death.
• Loss of future income and companionship.
• Medical and funeral expenses.
• Emotional trauma and mental anguish of the surviving family.

The suit also demands a jury trial.

No responses have yet been filed by the defendants. Efforts to reach Jet Rescue representatives for comment were unsuccessful.