Medical jet crashes into Philadelphia neighborhood, causing chaos, fire

A small medical transport plane, carrying six individuals, crashed into several buildings in northeast Philadelphia on January 31 evening, sparking a massive fire and injuring several people on the ground.

The aircraft, a Learjet 55, was on a medical transport mission, carrying four crew members, a child patient, and the patient's escort, according to a statement from Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company operating the flight, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Here is what we’ve learned thus far.
 
A Learjet 55 crashed around 6:30 p.m. after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. There were reportedly 6 people on board.

The plane was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. The @FAANews and @NTSB will…

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 1, 2025

The crash occurred just blocks from the Roosevelt Mall in a densely populated area filled with terraced housing and shops. Emergency crews rushed to the scene amid chaotic scenes of fiery debris and damaged buildings. Witnesses described a terrifying explosion, with burning shrapnel from the crash scattered across the streets, damaging cars and structures. One eyewitness said, "I just saw a plane basically hit the building and it exploded. The sky lit up, and I pulled over—it was just real bad around here."

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the incident an "awful aviation disaster," acknowledging the likelihood of casualties. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker expressed her concern, stating that city officials were still uncertain about the number of fatalities but urged residents to offer prayers for all those affected. She also cautioned people not to touch any debris and to contact emergency services if they encountered any.

The child aboard the plane was being transported for treatment in the US for a life-threatening condition and was on their way back to Tijuana, Mexico, when the crash occurred. The child, accompanied by her mother, a pilot, a copilot, a doctor, and a paramedic, had received care funded by a third-party charity, according to Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold. Tragically, Gold noted that the child had “fought quite a lot to survive” but was unable to make it home due to the crash.

BREAKING: Plane crash near Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Several homes are on fire, MASSIVE emergency response in-progress. pic.twitter.com/wl6rVCbX5m

— Hexdline (@HexdlineNews) January 31, 2025

The flight, which took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport around 6:30 PM local time, was en-route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially reported that two people were aboard, but later revised the number to six. Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the plane had arrived in Philadelphia from Florida earlier that evening.

The Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) offering support and a helpline for Mexican nationals affected by the crash.

As investigators begin to assess the cause of the crash, local authorities have urged residents to remain cautious as the area remains a potential danger zone due to the wreckage and ongoing fires.

By Vafa Guliyeva