A medical transport plane carrying six people crashed into a residential area of northeast Philadelphia on Friday evening, causing multiple fires and injuries on the ground.
The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, was carrying four crew members – a pilot, copilot, doctor, and paramedic – along with a child patient and her mother. The child, who had been receiving treatment for a life-threatening condition in the United States, was returning to Tijuana, Mexico. The treatment had been sponsored by a charity organization, according to company spokesman Shai Gold.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the incident as an “awful aviation disaster” during a news conference, indicating there would be casualties. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents to report any debris to 911 without touching it, while officials work to determine the number of fatalities.
The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at approximately 6:30 PM local time. Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the plane, operated by Med Jets, had arrived from Florida less than four hours before the incident. The aircraft was bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when it went down less than four miles from takeoff.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the plane descended rapidly before impact. Multiple onlookers reported seeing a massive fireball that “lit up the whole sky.” Ryan Tian, 23, told The Philadelphia Inquirer he witnessed a “massive fireball” while getting dinner. Another witness told CBS they heard a whirring sound followed by a loud explosion that felt like an earthquake.
The crash occurred in a densely populated area near Roosevelt Mall, a three-story shopping center. Videos show the aircraft’s rapid descent ending in a large explosion, with debris and burning wreckage scattered across streets lined with terraced housing and shops. The incident left multiple vehicles and structures ablaze.
The Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia has established a helpline for affected Mexican nationals.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations into the crash. President Donald Trump stated his administration was “totally engaged” in the response, expressing sadness over the “innocent souls lost.”
This incident follows a deadly collision between a commercial jet and military helicopter in Washington DC just two days prior, which is suspected to have claimed 67 lives in what became the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in over two decades.
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