PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The NTSB has completed its work on the ground at the site of Friday's medical transport jet crash in Northeast Philadelphia. Forensics investigators are relocating away from the site, and a neighborhood turned upside down is starting to put itself back together again.
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City officials on Tuesday hosted a press conference at Philadelphia Fire Department headquarters on Spring Garden Street with an update on the state of the investigation into the cause and aftermath of the disaster, which killed six onboard the plane and one on the ground, and injured two dozen others.
The NTSB will be leaving the city shortly, said Philadelphia Managing Director Adam Thiel. The laborious and time-consuming forensics investigation, led by the Police Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office, is continuing, but it is being moved away from the scene so businesses and neighbors can begin the long journey back to life before the crash.
“I won’t say normalcy,” said Thiel, “because that will take much longer.”
The Roosevelt Mall is scheduled to reopen at noon on Wednesday, though that does not include the Raising Cane’s and Dunkin’ on Cottman Avenue, which are both stand-alone buildings close to the crash site. It’s not clear how long it will take to fully reopen Cottman Avenue.
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Responding to concerns about exposure to toxins from the crash, Thiel said the explosion, the resulting fires, the jet fuel involved — all would present a serious health concern for any first responder not wearing a protective breathing apparatus.
First responders experience that threat frequently, said Thiel, and both he and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel assured reporters that personnel who worked at the crash site would be submitting injury reports to ensure their protection.
Since the crash, 24 people on the ground have been identified, but not named publicly, among the injured. Bethel said there are no missing persons associated with the crash. Thiel cautioned that the city will not have a final, official number of casualties and injuries until the end of the forensic investigation.
So far, 366 residences and businesses have been assessed, block by block, one address at a time, said Office of Emergency Management Director Dominick Mireles. Crews from several city agencies will be working around the clock to clean up the streets and take stock of damage to infrastructure.
Unfortunately, some of the homes that were damaged are considered imminently dangerous, so no one is allowed back in at this time.
“We still have residences and properties that have been damaged that folks are not going to be able to go back to,” Thiel added. “Hopefully, most of the residences that are undamaged or have been cleared for re-occupancy will be able to be reoccupied soon.”
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Thiel said, while he doesn’t think every business closed since Friday night will reopen by first light on Wednesday, the goal is to get most of them running again sometime during the day and restore the rest in the coming days.
City officials urge people who do not live or work in the neighborhood to stay away from the scene.
The Red Cross shelter at Samuel Fels High School where some impacted residents were staying has been closed. Residents have been transitioned to longer-term housing.
There is a vigil for victims of the crash planned for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Cottman and Bustleton avenues at a memorial set up there.
There will also be a town hall meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Solis-Cohen elementary school (7001 Horrocks St.), where residents can get their questions answered directly from city leaders.