Medical Plane Carrying Child and Five Others Crashes in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced at a news conference late Friday that officials anticipated fatalities in the “tragic aviation disaster.”
A medical transport jet, carrying a child patient, her mother, and four additional individuals, crashed into a neighborhood in Philadelphia shortly after taking off on Friday, igniting fires in nearby homes and vehicles.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the operator of the Learjet 55, stated: “We cannot confirm any survivors.” There was no immediate confirmation regarding whether there were any casualties on the ground.
All six individuals aboard were from Mexico. The child had been receiving treatment in Philadelphia for a critical condition and was being transported back home, as per Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold. The flight’s intended final destination was Tijuana, following a stop in Missouri.
The crew included the patient and her mother, along with four experienced crew members. Gold mentioned that this crew was well-trained and that all personnel involved in such flights undergo thorough training.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro reiterated during the news conference late Friday that officials feared fatalities in the “tragic aviation disaster.”
“We understand that there will be loss,” he stated.
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The aircraft vanished from radar shortly after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m., ascending to 1,600 feet. It was registered to a company known as Med Jets, according to details from the flight tracking service Flight Aware.
The crash occurred in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping area in the densely populated Rhawnhurst neighborhood. The incident took place less than three miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily accommodates business jets and charter flights.
Social media footage captured the plane descending rapidly before a massive explosion illuminated the night sky.
Additional videos depict thick black smoke rising from what appeared to be the burning wreckage of the aircraft on a city street, with debris scattered everywhere and observers in shock.
Other video footage shows law enforcement securing the area while firefighters responded to numerous fires.
First responders investigate the site of the plane crash in Philadelphia on January 31, 2025. Matt Rourke/AP Photo
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management labeled the crash a “major incident.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy disclosed on social media that the plane was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
Duffy stated that both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would conduct investigations into the crash.
Jet Rescue, a company providing global air ambulance services, also transported baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and was involved in moving critically ill COVID-19 patients.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the NTSB and FAA for further details.
This crash occurred just days after an American Airlines passenger airplane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter midair near Reagan National Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
