Medical jet carrying six people crashes in Philadelphia, setting homes on fire | Philadelphia
A medical transport jet carrying a child patient, her mother and four others including crew crashed into a north-east Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday evening, erupting in a fireball and setting several homes ablaze just 30 seconds after taking off.
“We cannot confirm any survivors,” said a statement from Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which operated the Learjet 55. “Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground.”
Shai Gold, a spokesperson for Jet Rescue, spoke to a local NBC affiliate about the people onboard the plane. The pediatric patient, a girl, was returning to Tijuana, Mexico. The others on the plane included her mother, a pilot, a co-pilot, a doctor and a paramedic, Gold said.
“All I can say is, the patient was sponsored by a third-partner charity to undergo life-saving treatment in the US,” Gold said. “She did her course of care. She was going home.
“She fought quite a lot to survive, and unfortunately, this tragedy on the way home.”
All six people aboard were from Mexico, according to reports, and the plane was registered there. Police said it was on medical assignment.
It was the second fatal crash in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023 five crew members were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.
The Philadelphia crash happened less than 3 miles (4.8km) from Northeast Philadelphia airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights. It came two days after a commercial airliner collided with a military helicopter near Reagan Washington National airport outside of Washington DC, killing all 67 aboard both aircraft.
Photos taken at the crash site appear to show homes on fire. Fire officials confirmed that multiple structures were on fire following the crash around 6pm ET in the area of Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement about 6.40pm confirming the crashed plane was a Learjet 55 and had initially said two people were onboard. The agency later changed that assessment to confirm that six people were involved. Sean Duffy, the US secretary of transportation, had said there were at least six people onboard.
The FAA statement said the plane had been en route to Springfield-Branson National airport in Missouri. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate, it said.
Flight data showed a small jet taking off from the airport at 6.06pm and disappearing from radar about 30 seconds later after climbing to an altitude of 1,600 ft (487 meters). It was unclear what led to the crash.
The plane was a medical transport jet and was registered to a company operating as Med Jets.
State and local officials said late on Friday they could not yet confirm how many people might have died on the ground after the plane slammed into a heavily populated portion of the city. Injuries had been reported, police said.
Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, told a press conference at the crash scene that “we know there will be loss in this region”.
“We want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those that are grieving at this moment,” he said.
Donald Trump, the US president, wrote on social media that it was “so sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First responders are already being given credit for doing a great job.”
Shapiro posted on social media that he was in communication with the mayor and emergency responders. “We are offering all commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly.”
Videos posted on social media showed a bright streak as the plane plunged at a steep angle towards the ground, then a large explosion with a ball of flame and smoke smoke rising from the crash site.
Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair on Friday when he heard a loud bang and his house shook. He said it felt like a small earthquake and when he checked his home security camera footage, it looked like a missile was coming down. “There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second,” he said.
The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center where, afterwards, first responders were blocking traffic and onlookers crowded on to a street corner in the residential neighborhood of Rhawnhurst. Philadelphia’s emergency management office said roads were closed in the area.
One cellphone video taken by a witness moments after the plane crashed showed a chaotic scene with debris scattered across the intersection. A wall of orange glowed just beyond the intersection as a plume of black smoke quickly rose into the sky, while some witnesses could be heard crying and sirens blared.
Jet Rescue, according to its website, is a licensed and insured company that has more than 20 years of experience providing critical care air ambulance services from Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean to the US and Canada.
