The medical transport jet was transporting a child who had just completed treatment for a life-threatening condition at Shriners Children's Hospital, her mother and four others.
All the six people including a child on board a medical transport jet were killed after it crashed in Philadelphia on Frid🃏ay, confirmed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Six people on board a medical transport jet that crashed in Philadelphia were killed. That is according to .
The child was 🐬receiving treatment at a hospital in Philadelphia and travelling with her mother along with four others in the jet.
According to Associated Press, at least six people on the ground were injured in the crash on 🉐Friday.
The crash happened less than 5 kilometres from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves busi𒅌ness jets and charter flights. A continuous stream of police vehicles and fire trucks initially responded at the crash site, taking over business parking lots.
The medical transport jet was transporting a child who had just comp෴leted treatment for a life-threatening condition at Shriner🎐s Children's Hospital, her mother and four others.
It crashed into a Philadelphia neighbourhood shortly after takeoff Friday evening, exploding in a fireballꩵ that engulfed several homes.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance operated the Learjet 55. Everyone aboard the fligh♛t was fro𒈔m Mexico.
The chilꦅd was being transported home, according to Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold. Th🌳e flight's final destination was Tijuana after a stop in Missouri.
The patient and her mother were on board along with four crew members. Gold said this waꩲs a seasoned crew and everyone involved in these flights goes through rigorous training.
“When an incident like this happens, it's shocking ༒and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are maintain🎃ed, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro saiജd at a news conference late Friday that officials expected fataꦦlities in the “awful aviation disaster.”
A spokesperson for Temple University Hospital-Jeanes, Jennifer Reardon, said they had treated six people with injuries from the crash. Three of those people had since been released and the others were in fair c🎃ondition. She wasn't able to provide information about their injuries or where the people were when they sustained them.
Th꧑e plane was registered in Mexico. Jet Rescue is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in th⭕e US.
In Philadelphia, a doorbell camera captured video of the plane plunging in a streak of white♑ and exploding as it hit the ground near a shopping mall and major roadway.
“All we heard was a loud roar and didn't know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume,” said Jim Quinn,🅷 the owner of the doorbell camera.
The Learjet 55 quickly disappeared from radar after taking off f🍌rom the airport at 6:06 p.m. and climbing to an altitude of 1,60🍷0 feet (487 meters). It was registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.
Shortly after 6 p.m., audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller telling “Medeva♋c Medservice 056” to turn right when departing. About 30 seconds later it repeats the request before asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later,꧒ the controller says, “We have a lost aircraft. We're not exactly sure what happened, so we're trying to figure it out. For now the field is going to be closed.”
The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping c🔯entre in the densely populated neighbourhood of Rhawnhurst.
One cellphone video taken by a witness moments after the crash showed a chaotic scene with debris scattered across the intersection. A wall oಌf orange glowed just beyond as a plume of black smoke rose into the sky and sirens blared.
The FAA said the National Tꦚransportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. The NTSB said an investigator arrived Friday and more officials would be there Saturday.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: “So sad to see the plan🌺e go ��down in Philadelphia.”
“M🌠ore innocent souls l♊ost,” he added. “Our people are totally engaged.”
Mexican Presiꦏdent Claudia Sheinbaum expressed condolences Saturday morning in a statement on the social media platform X.
“I mourn the passing of six Mexicans in the aviation accident𝓰 in Philadelphia, United States. Consular authorities are in constant con🦹tact with the families; I've asked the Foreign Affairs Secretary to support whatever is needed. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends,” she said in a statement written in Spanish.
The crash came just two days after the deadliest US air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, DC, with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survဣivors.
The Philadelphia crash was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023 five c♚rewmembers were k♏illed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.