A medical transport Learjet 55, carrying 6 people, crashed in Northeast Philadelphia on Friday, just 30 seconds after taking off, unleashing a fireball and setting nearby homes ablaze.
A pediatric patient and five others were on the plane. Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro has pledged full state resources to assist with the response efforts, as per AFP.
The crash occurred less than three miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.
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The jet, en route to Springfield, Missouri, was registered to a company named Med Jets, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.
According to the news agency AP, witnesses reported a loud explosion, with some residents fearing an attack due to the intensity of the blast. One local resident described feeling as though his house had experienced a mini earthquake.
Flight data revealed that the plane took off at 6:06 pm (local time) before disappearing from radar about 30 seconds later after reaching an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters).
It crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, a shopping centre in the residential Rhawnhurst neighbourhood.
Witness videos captured chaotic scenes with debris scattered across the intersection, orange flames, and rising black smoke. The area was quickly cordoned off by first responders, and roads were closed to the public, reported news agency AFP.
The crash comes just days after a deadly midair collision in Washington, DC, which killed 67 people. This incident, the deadliest US air disaster in nearly 25 years, heightened the national attention on aviation safety.
The jet’s owner, Jet Rescue, is a company that provides global air ambulance services. It was previously involved in transporting baseball star David Ortiz to Boston after a shooting in the Dominican Republic in 2019.
The National transportation safety board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the crash, gathering information on the incident, as per AP.
