PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A medical transport jet crashed in a busy corridor of Northeast Philadelphia Friday evening about 30 seconds after taking off, killing six people aboard the plane, including a pediatric patient.
Flames and smoke dissipated by Saturday morning, but there is still a heavy police and fire presence at the crash site at Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard, near the Roosevelt Mall. Charred pieces of the plane remain on the street as investigators and first responders scour the site and assess the damage.
Here’s what to know about the deadly crash.
Where did the plane crash?
Around 6:10 p.m., a private Learjet 55 spiraled down to the ground only about 30 seconds after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights. It crashed in the area of Cottman and Bustleton avenues, a busy intersection near the Roosevelt Mall with many stores and row homes nearby.
Several homes and cars were set ablaze, and fiery debris was strewn about.
Who was on the plane?
Jet Rescue, which owns the medical transport jet, said there were six people on board — four crew members, a young girl and her mother. All of them were from Mexico. The young girl had received treatment at Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia for a life-threatening condition and was being transported back home to Mexico.
The plane was first heading to a stop at Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
Jet Rescue could not confirm that anyone on the plane survived.
The crash was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue, according to The Associated Press. In 2023, five crew members were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.
How many people were affected?
It’s unclear how many total people on the ground were injured and just how many casualties were involved. At least six people were taken to area hospitals after the crash. Three of them were treated and released.
In a statement, city officials said that “many people on the ground — in parking lots, on streets, in cars and homes in the area — were injured; the number of injured is yet to be released.”
At least three homes were set ablaze. For those in the neighborhood who are displaced, a shelter was set up at Samuel Fels High School.
The area is still very active and remains closed near Cottman and Bustleton avenues.
The city will provide an update Saturday morning.
What we still don’t know
In addition to the number of people injured or affected, it is also not clear what caused the plane to crash so suddenly after takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.