Small plane crashes in Philadelphia

1/2/2025 15:58

A medevac plane with six people on board crashed in a northeast Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff on Friday evening, sparking a large fire, authorities said.



Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company operating the plane, confirmed that the aircraft was carrying four crew members, a pediatric patient who had just finished treatment in Philadelphia, and the patient's escort.



"At this time we cannot confirm any survivors," the company said in a statement.



During a Friday night press conference, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said that the crash occurred shortly after 6 p.m. "As of right now, we have no reports on the number of fatalities," she said, adding that several dwellings and vehicles were impacted.



Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, speaking alongside Parker and other city officials at the press conference, warned of expected fatalities in this "awful aviation disaster."



"We know that there will be loss," he said.



The Learjet 55 plane, en route from Philadelphia for Springfield, Missouri, had just taken off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport when the tragedy happened, said the FAA in a statement. It came down in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall in a densely populated residential area. The crash set multiple homes and cars on fire.