A medical transport jet carrying a child patient and five others crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff Friday evening, erupting in a massive fireball that engulfed multiple homes.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance confirmed that the aircraft had a patient, another passenger, and four crew members on board.
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“We cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said in a statement. “Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families, and any other victims who may have been harmed on the ground.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a news conference Friday night that information on fatalities was not immediately available, but several homes and vehicles were damaged.
“This remains an active investigation,” she said.
Second U.S. Air Disaster in Days
The crash occurred just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided midair with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers in Washington, D.C. There were no survivors.
A doorbell camera in Philadelphia captured footage of the plane plunging in a streak of white before exploding upon impact near a shopping mall and a major roadway.
“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 site is located less than three miles (4.8 kilometers) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which mainly serves business jets and charter flights.
The aircraft, a Learjet 55, disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m., reaching an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters). It was en route to Springfield, Missouri, and registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight-tracking website Flight Aware.
Reaction and Response
Former President Donald Trump reacted to the incident on Truth Social, calling it “so sad” and lamenting the loss of “more innocent souls.”
“Our people are totally engaged,” he added.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had offered “all Commonwealth resources” to assist in the response to the crash.
A large number of police vehicles and fire trucks initially flooded the area, taking over business parking lots as emergency responders directed people away and established a perimeter covering several blocks. About an hour later, the sirens and urgent commands faded into relative quiet as darkness settled in and passersby attempted to catch a glimpse of the scene.
The crash occurred at a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall in Rhawnhurst, a densely populated neighborhood.
One witness captured cell phone footage showing debris scattered across the intersection, with a wall of flames and thick black smoke rising into the sky as sirens blared.
Michael Schiavone, 37, was at his home in the nearby Mayfair neighborhood when he heard a loud bang and felt his house shake.
“It felt like a mini earthquake,” he said. “When I checked my home security footage, it looked like a missile coming down.”
Investigation Underway
Jet Rescue, the owner of the plane, provides global air ambulance services. The Mexico-based company previously transported baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and played a role in airlifting critically ill COVID-19 patients.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation. The NTSB confirmed it is gathering information on the crash.