A medical plane carrying a child who had just finished treatment for a serious illness, her mother, and four others crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after taking off on Friday evening. The plane exploded into a fireball, damaging several homes.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company operating the Learjet 55, said in a statement: “We cannot confirm any survivors.” It is unclear if anyone on the ground was killed, but at least six people were treated for injuries at a hospital.
All passengers on the plane were from Mexico. The child was being flown home, according to Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold. The flight was headed to Tijuana, Mexico, after a stop in Missouri.
The child, her mother, and four crew members were on board. Gold said the crew was experienced and everyone involved in these flights undergoes strict training.
“When something like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “We take great care of our aircraft because we know how important our mission is.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said at a news conference late Friday that officials expected fatalities in this “terrible aviation disaster.”
“We know there will be loss,” he said.
Jennifer Reardon, a spokesperson for Temple University Hospital-Jeanes, said six people were treated for injuries from the crash. Three have been released, and the others are in fair condition. She could not provide details about their injuries or where they were when they got hurt.
The plane was registered in Mexico. Jet Rescue is based in Mexico but also operates in the U.S.
This crash happened just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in years. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. No one survived.
This is the second fatal incident for Jet Rescue in 15 months. In 2023, five crew members died when their plane overran a runway in Mexico and crashed into a hillside.
In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera captured video of the plane falling in a streak of white light and exploding as it hit the ground near a shopping mall and a major road.
“All we heard was a loud roar and didn’t know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume,” said Jim Quinn, the owner of the doorbell camera.
The crash occurred less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which mainly serves business jets and charter flights.
The Learjet 55 vanished from radar shortly after taking off at 6:06 p.m. and reaching 1,600 feet (487 meters). It was registered to a company called Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.
Around 6 p.m., air traffic controllers were heard on LiveATC audio telling the plane to turn right after takeoff. About 30 seconds later, they repeated the request and asked, “Are you on frequency?” Minutes later, the controller said, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now, the airport is closed.”
On Truth Social, former President Donald Trump wrote: “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia.”
“More innocent souls lost,” he added. “Our people are fully engaged.”
Police and fire trucks quickly responded to the crash site, taking over business parking lots. Within an hour, the area grew quieter, and darkness fell as drivers passing by tried to see what was happening.
The plane crashed near Roosevelt Mall, a busy shopping center in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood.
A witness’s cellphone video showed a chaotic scene with debris scattered across the intersection. A wall of orange flames glowed as black smoke rose into the sky, and sirens blared.
Michael Schiavone, 37, was at home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang and felt his house shake. He said it felt like a mini earthquake, and his home security camera showed what looked like a missile coming down.
“There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second,” he said.
Jet Rescue, which provides global air ambulance services, has transported high-profile patients, including baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz after he was shot in 2019 and COVID-19 patients in critical condition.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation. An NTSB investigator arrived at the scene, and more officials will join on Saturday.
