Air ambulance carrying pediatric patient crashes in fiery explosion in busy Philadelphia neighborhood
An air ambulance carrying six people, including a child, crashed in a fireball near a mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday.
Harrowing footage of the incident, from multiple angles, showed an enormous, billowing explosion after the twin-engine Learjet 55 came down in a “high traffic” residential neighborhood in the northeast section of the city.
Eyewitnesses said the sky was “lit up” by the explosion, which was later declared a “major incident” by the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.
According to the FAA, the plane departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:30 p.m. local time, en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. It was reportedly airborne for only about 40 seconds, reaching an altitude of just 1,600 feet.
It reportedly fell from the sky at around 11,000 feet per minute.
An air ambulance carrying six people, including a child, has crashed near a mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Reuters)
Six people were on board when the crash occurred, the FAA said.
A pediatric patient was on board, along with an adult carer, and four crew members, according to the company operating the plane, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.
“At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said in a statement. “No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified.”
“Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground,” the company added.
At a brief press conference Friday evening, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said that “several dwellings and vehicles” were impacted in the crash.
“An aircraft went down in the vicinity of Roosevelt Mall … this occurred shortly after 6 p.m. this evening,” Parker told reporters.
“As of right now we have no reports on the number of fatalities, so … we’re just asking for prayers … [and] we are urging you to please stay away from the scene,” Parker added.
A jet plane has crashed near a mall in Philadelphia, with multiple casualties expected (Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management)
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said in a statement on X that he had spoken with Parker and local law enforcement, and is offering all Commonwealth resources as the emergency response unfolds.
President Donald Trump said he was aware of the crash, posting on his social media platform Truth Social: “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost.”
He added: “Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.“
A witness told ABC6of the crash: “It was just horrific. I was just driving down the street … and I just saw a plane basically hit the building and it exploded. The sky lit up and I pulled over and … it was just real bad around here.”
“It lit up the whole sky,” he added.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash. The NTSB will lead the probe and will provide all updates.
The incident comes as the NTSB continues to investigate the deadly collision Wednesday night between a passenger plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people.
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