Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company operating a medical transport plane that crashed in Philadelphia Friday night — killing 7 and injuring 19, said the aircraft had flawless maintenance records and was manned by top pilots.
Shai Gold, managing director of corporate strategy and communications for Air Ambulance, told ABC 6 news there was “absolutely no indication” of any issues with the plane prior to the crash.
The maintenance records of the airplane were “impeccable” and the company goes by the book, following manufacturer specifications, according to Gold.
He added the entire crew onboard was top-notch.
“The flight team [is] very experienced,” Gold said. “We pick the best of the best to fly those air ambulances. These are very careful, very seasoned individuals.”
The company noted the crew took their jobs very seriously and made it a point to “fly with passion.”
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“They fly with passion, they take care of patients with passion, and they’re just world-class professionals,” Gold told the outlet.
That’s what makes the crash unusual, he said.
“It’s a very unusual situation where, immediately after takeoff, the plane [took a] nosedive,” Gold said. “Very unusual. I don’t want to speculate, [but] the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) will come and investigate everything, and we’ll just have to sit patiently and wait for them.”
The company said it will cooperate fully with the NTSB.
“We run a world-class operation and unfortunately, [Friday], it failed for reasons unknown to us,” Gold said.
