US: Plane with 6 onboard crashes in Philadelphia
What's the story
A medical transport Learjet 55 crashed in Northeast Philadelphia shortly after takeoff on Friday evening. The crash caused a massive fireball and set nearby homes ablaze.
The incident occurred near Northeast Philadelphia Airport, less than three miles from the airport.
The aircraft was registered to Med Jets and was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri at the time of the accident.
All six aboard were from Mexico.
Incident aftermath
Crash details and immediate response
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane took off at 6:06pm local time and vanished from radar 30 seconds later after reaching an altitude of 1,600 feet.
The crash site was near Roosevelt Mall in the residential Rhawnhurst neighborhood.
Witnesses said they heard a loud explosion and saw debris scattered across the intersection, with orange flames and rising black smoke.
Twitter Post
Video on X of the plane crash
🚨 JUST IN: New video shows another angle of the jet SLAMMING into a Philadelphia neighborhood like a missile
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 1, 2025
This is NIGHTMARE FUEL. pic.twitter.com/jrZTPLM9Sw
Passenger count
Conflicting reports on number of passengers, state response
There were conflicting reports about the number of people on board. While the FAA initially said there were two people aboard, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said "reportedly" six people were on board.
Among those reportedly on board was a pediatric patient.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro pledged full state resources to assist with response efforts, and Philadelphia's emergency management office described the crash as a "major incident."
Investigation launch
President Trump expresses condolences, NTSB to investigate
President Donald Trump took to his social media site, Truth Social, to offer his condolences.
He wrote, "So sad to see the plane go down...More innocent souls lost." He also praised first responders for their efforts.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the crash, working with the FAA to gather information.
This incident comes just days after a deadly mid-air collision between an American Eagle flight and a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington killed 67.