Medical Jet Crashes in Philadelphia, Setting Homes Ablaze and Injuring Residents
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A medical transport jet carrying a child patient, her mother, and four crew members crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff Friday evening, erupting into flames and setting multiple homes on fire.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the operator of the Learjet 55, stated, “We cannot confirm any survivors.” There was no immediate confirmation of fatalities on the ground, but at least six people were treated for injuries at a local hospital.
All passengers aboard were from Mexico, with the child returning home after receiving treatment for a life-threatening condition, according to Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold. The flight was en route to Tijuana, with a scheduled stop in Missouri.
Gold emphasized that the crew was highly experienced, stating, “Everyone involved in these flights undergoes rigorous training.”
“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and unexpected,” Gold told The Associated Press. “Our aircraft are meticulously maintained, and no expense is spared because we understand the critical nature of our mission.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro addressed the media late Friday, calling the crash an “awful aviation disaster” and confirming that officials anticipated fatalities.
“We know that there will be loss,” Shapiro said.
Jennifer Reardon, a spokesperson for Temple University Hospital-Jeanes, stated that six people had been treated for injuries from the crash. Three had been released, while the remaining patients were in fair condition. However, she did not disclose details about their injuries or where they had been at the time of the incident.
The aircraft was registered in Mexico, and Jet Rescue, the medical transport company operating the Learjet 55, is based there with operations in both Mexico and the United States.
This tragedy occurred just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in decades. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided midair with an Army helicopter transporting three soldiers over Washington, D.C. There were no survivors.
The Philadelphia crash marked the second fatal incident for Jet Rescue in just 15 months. In 2023, five crew members lost their lives when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.
In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera captured chilling footage of the plane descending in a streak of white before exploding upon impact near a shopping mall and a busy 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,” recalled Jim Quinn, the camera’s owner.
The crash occurred less than three miles (5 kilometers) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.
The Learjet 55 quickly disappeared from radar after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m., climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters). According to flight tracking website Flight Aware, the plane was registered to a company operating under the name Med Jets.
Shortly after 6 p.m., audio from LiveATC recorded an air traffic controller instructing “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right upon departure. About 30 seconds later, the controller repeated the request, asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later, the controller was heard saying, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now, the field is going to be closed.”
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump expressed his condolences, writing: “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia.”
“More innocent souls lost,” he added. “Our people are totally engaged.”
A steady stream of police vehicles and fire trucks rushed to the crash site, initially taking over nearby business parking lots. Within an hour, the blare of sirens and shouted commands gradually faded, and the area grew quiet. As darkness settled in, drivers passing by slowed down to try and see what had happened at the crash scene.
The plane had crashed at a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center located in the densely populated Rhawnhurst neighborhood.
One cellphone video taken by a witness moments after the crash captured the chaotic aftermath, showing debris scattered across the intersection. A wall of orange flames lit up the scene, and a plume of black smoke rose into the sky as sirens blared in the distance.
Michael Schiavone, 37, was at home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang and his house shook. Describing it as feeling like a mini earthquake, he said when he checked his home security camera, it appeared as though a missile had come down.
“There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second,” Schiavone said.
Jet Rescue, the company behind the flight, is known for its global air ambulance services. It previously flew baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and was involved in transporting critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would lead the investigation into the crash. The NTSB stated that an investigator arrived at the scene, and additional officials would be on-site by Saturday.
