A medical transport plane carrying six people has crashed into homes in Philadelphia, killing everyone on board and sparking fires that injured people on the ground.
The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, came down just four miles from take-off at Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening, hitting several homes in a densely populated area near Roosevelt Mall.
"We know that there will be loss," Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told reporters at the scene, describing it as an "awful aviation disaster".
Among the dead were a critically ill child returning to Tijuana with her mother, two pilots, a doctor and a paramedic. The young patient had been receiving treatment in the US through a charity programme.
Plane crash on Cottman Ave, Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/FCWOCaQVNo
— SJ (@as1lmhsa) February 1, 2025
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as the plane plummeted from the sky. "I just saw a plane basically hit the building and it exploded. The sky lit up and it was just real bad around here," one resident told local media, comparing the impact to an earthquake.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents not to touch any debris, saying: "If you see debris, call 911." The exact number of casualties remains unknown.
The aircraft had arrived from Florida just hours before the crash and was heading to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when the incident occurred around 6:30pm local time.
Emergency crews are at the scene, where several homes and vehicles were set ablaze. The Mexican Consulate has established a helpline for affected nationals.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash.
It comes just days after the fatal mid-air collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet over Washington DC.
All three soldiers on the army aircraft were killed in the crash above Ronald Reagan National Airport, as well as the 64 passengers and crew on American Airlines flight 5342.
