Medical Plane Carrying A Child, Her Mother, Four Other Passengers Crashes In Philadelphia

A medical transport jet carrying a child patient, her mother, and four crew members crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff Friday evening, igniting a massive fire that engulfed several homes.

The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, exploded upon impact, sending a fireball into the sky. Officials have not confirmed any survivors or reported whether there were casualties on the ground. All six passengers were from Mexico, and the child was returning home after receiving treatment in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the crash as an “awful aviation disaster” and said fatalities were expected.

The plane took off at 6:06 p.m. from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, disappearing from radar minutes later at 1,600 feet (487 meters). A doorbell camera captured the moment it plummeted and exploded near Roosevelt Mall in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood.

Witnesses described a deafening roar followed by an orange fireball and thick black smoke.

Jet Rescue, based in Mexico, provides global air ambulance services and previously transported baseball legend David Ortiz after he was shot in the Dominican Republic. This marks the company’s second fatal crash in 15 months; in 2023, five crew members dead when one of its planes crashed in Mexico.

The crash came just days after another deadly U.S. aviation accident, when an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., killing all on board.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating, with officials set to arrive at the crash site Saturday.