Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A medevac plane crashed in Philadelphia on Friday, carrying a child and five others, the air ambulance company operating the aircraft confirmed. The company, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, stated that it had not yet verified any survivors.
The aircraft was transporting four crew members, one pediatric medical patient, and the patient’s escort when it went down. “At this time we cannot confirm any survivors,” Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said in a statement.
State and local officials were unable to confirm how many fatalities had occurred on the ground, as the crash took place in a densely populated area of the city. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, speaking at the crash site, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “We know there will be loss in this region,” he said. “We want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those that are grieving at this moment.”
Former President Donald Trump reacted to the incident on social media, stating, “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job.”
The crash follows a separate aviation disaster earlier in the week, in which an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people—marking the deadliest airplane crash in the U.S. since 2009.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the aircraft involved in the Philadelphia crash was a Learjet 55 and that the accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. (0030 GMT) on Friday. Local media outlets indicated that the crash happened near Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia, with multiple injuries reported on the ground.
Footage aired by local television stations captured the aircraft in a steep dive before it crashed, erupting into a massive fireball upon impact. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, addressing reporters at the scene, described the severity of the situation. “Several houses and cars were engulfed in flames,” she said. “It’s all hands on deck, that’s where we are right now.”
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Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the crash. Weather conditions at the time were reported to be cold and rainy, with low visibility.
The FAA confirmed that the air ambulance had departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, approximately 1,100 miles (1,800 km) southwest of the crash site.
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Images broadcast by CBS’s Philadelphia affiliate showed a large fire at the crash site, with several fire trucks responding. Firefighters managed to contain most of the flames within two hours of the crash, according to television footage.
Neither the Philadelphia police department nor the fire department immediately responded to requests for comment.
