Medical Jet Crashes in Philadelphia, Exploding Into Fireball

A medical transport jet with six people on board, including a seriously ill child and her mother, crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday evening. The crash caused a giant fireball and destroyed several houses.

The Learjet 55, flying for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, had just taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport when it crashed near Roosevelt Mall. Witnesses saw a white flash before the plane exploded when it hit the ground. A doorbell camera recorded the fiery fall, and cell phone videos showed the flames and wreckage.

Jet Rescue, a company in Mexico, reported that all six people on board, including four crew members, were from Mexico. The child was getting medical care in Philadelphia and was on a flight home to Tijuana, with a stop planned in Missouri.

"We can't confirm if there are any survivors," said Shai Gold from Jet Rescue. "This was an experienced team, well-trained for important missions."

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the crash as a terrible flying disaster and said there will likely be deaths. Officials have not yet figured out if there were any deaths or injuries.

The jet lost contact with radar a few minutes after takeoff, just 1,600 feet in the air, before it crashed. According to Flight Aware, the plane belonged to Med Jets.

This is Jet Rescue's second deadly crash in 15 months. In 2023, five crewmembers were killed when another of its jets crashed in Mexico.

President Donald Trump shared on Truth Social, "It's sad to see the plane crash in Philadelphia." "More innocent lives lost."

The NTSB and FAA are looking into the reasons for the crash and will share details soon.

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