Friday, Jan. 31 was a sad day that will forever be a part of Philadelphia history after a Lear 55 Jet carrying six passengers crashed into Cottman Avenue not far from Roosevelt Boulevard. The medevac plane had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Northeast Airport just moments before.
Despite being first built in the 1930s and having been in operation for 90 years — Northeast Philadelphia Airport has always having taken a backseat to Philadelphia International Airport. In fact — the original grass field airport had plenty of competition from nearby Budd Field, Boulevard
During World War II — the US Army Air Corps began building a larger airport in Northeast Philadelphia. The project was never finished — and the property was provided to the City of Philadelphia. What we now know as Northeast Philadelphia Airport opened in June of 1945 and underwent an expansion project in 1960. The airport was the home of Ransome Airlines until the Philadelphia Patco Strike in 1981.
Today — Northeast Philadelphia Airport has two concrete runways — 6/24 and 15/33. Unlike when the airport was first developed in the 1930s — the surrounding area is no longer covered by only farmland and residences. The nearly 1,150 acres are of mixed use today. In addition to aviation-related businesses, the grounds currently serve as headquarters for the 1st and 8th Districts of the Philadelphia Police Department both. Both an ice-skating rink as well as a distribution location for T.J. Maxx opened in 2001. AgustaWestland
For years — on the western side of Northeast Philadelphia Airport was located one of the national chain known as the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant. The restaurant — whose outer walls were decorated with WW1 style mealie bags, flight memorabilia, and even period-artillery pieces — a tribute to one of the first American aviation units to reach the western front in World War I led by Ohio native Eddie Rickenbacker. The restaurant had a feed from the control tower from the airport to enjoy during the meal and closed in 2003.
Unfortunately — Friday’s tragedy was not the first connected to Northeast Airport. In October 1952 — while dealing with suspect terrain not far from Northeast Airport — a USAF Douglas C-47 crashed, killing half of the passengers on board.
In April of 1991 — US Senator John Heinz’s Piper Aerostar en-route to Northeast Philadelphia Airport had a mid-air collision with Sunbell Aviation Helicopters Bell 412. The helicopter was attempting to check the Senator’s plane for a landing gear issue. Compounding the tragedy was that the impact was over Merion Elementary School (Lower Merion Township) killing two students at the school.
Michael Thomas Leibrandt is member of the York Road Historical Society and lives and works in Abington Township.
