Recent images from the plane crash site in Philadelphia show the significantly damaged black box retrieved from the wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the device was found buried eight feet underground. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance confirmed the crashed aircraft was their Learjet 55, which went down shortly after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport last week.

Six individuals were on board: the pilot, co-pilot, a physician, a paramedic, a young patient, and the child's mother. All were Mexican nationals. The NTSB confirmed the black box recovery on Sunday but did not initially release any images. The recovered components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C. for analysis. The NTSB also stated that both engines have been recovered and the remaining wreckage will be transported to a secure facility in Delaware for further investigation.

Black boxes and flight data recorders are crucial tools for accident investigators, helping them piece together the events leading to a crash. These devices are brightly colored orange for enhanced visibility amidst debris and are typically located in the tail section of the plane – statistically the most survivable area in a crash.

The crash tragically resulted in the death of everyone on board, in addition to one person on the ground. A 38-year-old man, Jason Rodriguez, who was in the vicinity at the time of the crash, is still reported missing. His family last heard from him while he was shopping in the area.