A medical jet crashed in a northeast Philadelphia neighborhood Friday evening, Jan. 31, igniting fires to homes and vehicles nearby. Among the passengers on board was a young girl who had just received treatment for a life-threatening illness.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed six people were aboard the Learjet 55 when it crashed around 6:30 p.m. local time, shortly after departing from the airport. The plane was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
According to FlightAware, the Learjet’s tail number is XA-UCI, indicating that the aircraft is classified as commercial and registered in Mexico.
The jet’s owner, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, is a critical care air ambulance service. A spokesman for the company told NBC News that a young girl aboard the flight was returning to Tijuana, Mexico, after receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness in the U.S.
Authorities also said multiple people on the ground suffered injuries.
Video footage shows multiple row homes, vehicles and nearby businesses on fire. Roosevelt Mall is located near the crash site. Satellite imagery of the area shows a dense residential neighborhood near the shopping center.
Eyewitnesses described hearing an explosion, feeling their homes shake and then seeing a massive fireball.
Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management posted to X Friday night that they had closed off multiple streets around the area and would update the public with more information.
The Philadelphia Fire Department said shortly after 8:15 p.m. that they had the fire under control.
It remains unclear how many people are injured or the exact number of casualties.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro have been briefed and that local officials have been offered full support.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are handling the investigation.
The crash occurred just two days after a military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday. Both aircraft landed in the Potomac River, resulting in the deaths of 67 people, with no survivors.
