Medical jet crashes in Philadelphia neighbourhood, leaves homes ablaze

• A medical transport jet carrying six people, including a child patient and her mother, crashed into a residential area in northeast Philadelphia
• The aircraft exploded on impact, igniting multiple homes and vehicles near Roosevelt Mall in the Rhawnhurst neighbourhood
• Authorities have not confirmed any survivors but Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expects fatalities

A medical transport jet carrying six people, including a child patient and her mother, crashed into a residential area in northeast Philadelphia on Friday evening. 

The aircraft exploded on impact, igniting multiple homes and vehicles.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the operator of the Learjet 55, confirmed that all six people on board were from Mexico. 

The child, who had been receiving treatment in Philadelphia for a life-threatening condition, was being transported back to Tijuana, Mexico, with a planned stop in Missouri.

Authorities have not confirmed any survivors. Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold expressed shock at the tragedy, emphasising that their flight crews undergo rigorous training and aircraft maintenance is a top priority.

“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told the Associated Press. “Not a penny is spared on maintenance because we know our mission is critical.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the crash as an "awful aviation disaster" and stated that officials expected fatalities.

The plane went down near Roosevelt Mall, a busy shopping centre in the densely populated Rhawnhurst neighbourhood. 

The crash site, located less than three miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, was engulfed in flames, with debris scattered across the streets.

Doorbell camera footage captured the moment the aircraft plunged from the sky before exploding. Eyewitness Jim Quinn described hearing a loud roar before seeing a plume of smoke rising.

Local resident Michael Schiavone, 37, said the impact felt like an earthquake. "There was a large explosion, and for a second, I thought we were under attack," he said.

Cellphone videos from the scene showed burning debris, crushed vehicles, and panicked bystanders. Witnesses reported that the explosion "lit up the whole sky."

Trend of crashes

The crash marks the second fatal accident for Jet Rescue in just over a year. 

In 2023, another of its aircraft overran a runway in Morelos, Mexico, and crashed into a hillside, killing five crew members.

Jet Rescue is known for providing global air ambulance services, including transporting critically ill COVID-19 patients and baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation. 

An NTSB investigator arrived on the scene Friday, January 31, with additional officials expected to arrive Saturday, February 1.

President Donald Trump expressed condolences in a post on Truth Social, writing, "So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged."

The tragedy comes just two days after another major U.S. aviation disaster. On Wednesday, January 29, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided midair with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board.

As Philadelphia officials assess the damage and investigate the cause of the crash, Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents to avoid the crash site and report any debris to authorities. "We are asking for prayers for everyone affected," she said.

Plane crash claims 179 lives in South Korea's worst air disaster

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that 179 people were killed on Sunday, December 29, in South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster when Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash-landed at Muan International Airport.

The Boeing 737-800 was en route from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan International Airport with 175 passengers and six crew onboard, before it erupted into flames after skidding off the runway and slamming into a wall.

Bird strike was suspected to have caused the landing gear malfunction, leading to the crash.