Man sitting in restaurant hit by debris from plane crash
What's the story
A medical jet crash in Northeast Philadelphia has left all six passengers on board dead and injured at least 22 people on the ground.
The Learjet 55, which was carrying six Mexican nationals, crashed shortly after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
It was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when the tragedy happened.
Diner incident
Plane crash debris injures diner patron
The crash happened less than a mile away from the Four Seasons Diner on Cottman Avenue, where debris from the plane hit an elderly man inside.
A piece of metal smashed through the diner's window, hitting the man in his head. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance, his current condition remaining unknown.
"We're all pretty shaken, but everyone is OK," said Ayhan Tiryaki, manager of Four Seasons Diner.
Twitter Post
Footage from Four Seasons Diner
Footage from inside the Four Seasons Diner last night. The man with the hat was hit, thankfully not seriously injured. Crazy! #Philadelphia #planecrash pic.twitter.com/oMZmLB3Hsb
— AC (@ACinPhilly) February 1, 2025
Investigation update
NTSB recovers black box from crash site
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the black box from the crash site, located eight feet underground but reportedly in "decent shape."
The enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) was also recovered and will be analyzed at the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington DC.
This comes as part of ongoing investigations into the cause of this tragic incident.
Aftermath
Crash leaves trail of destruction, claims another life
The crash left a trail of destruction, with charred vehicles and damaged buildings near the site.
Apart from those on board, one person on the ground died and several others were injured in nearby homes and streets.
This incident comes after another aviation disaster near Washington DC where a passenger plane collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, killing 67.