PHILADELPHIA – A medical transport plane carrying a pediatric patient, her mother, and four crew members crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood Friday night, erupting into a fireball and engulfing nearby homes and cars in flames.
Philadelphia officials say the six people onboard the plane have died.
What we know:
Investigation into jet rescue ambulance plane crash in Philly
FOX 29’s morning news team breaks down what we know regarding the investigation into the jet rescue ambulance plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia.
The crash happened along Cottman Avenue near Bustleton Avenue and the Roosevelt Mall shortly after 6 p.m.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, speaking at the scene, said that officials had yet to confirm the number of fatalities. Several surrounding homes and vehicles were also impacted by the crash Parker confirmed.
“This is a tragedy in our city – people have lost their lives and many injured in this horrific crash and the damage is significant,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash. We are unified in our approach – a One Philly philosophy with all hands-on deck. I am so grateful for the rapid response by our Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments, our Office of Emergency Management and Philadelphia Gas Works with federal, state, and local first responders who swarmed the scene in collaboration with all first responders on the ground.”
Medical flight: What we know about victims onboard
Jer Rescue Air Ambulance confirmed that the flight was carrying six people, including a pediatric patient, her mother, and four crew members,
Philly plane crash: Gov Shapiro, Mayor Parker provide update
After a plane crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker update the situation on the ground.
Shai Gold, a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance spokesperson, says the child had been treated for a life-threatening condition and was being transported home to Mexico. The flight’s final destination was Tijuana after a stop in Missouri.
The plane was registered in Mexico. Jet Rescue is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in the U.S.
Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia confirmed that they had treated the patient and that she was heading back to her home country.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the medical crew and pilots who were also lost in this tragic event – as well as all of the people who were affected on the ground – and we’re thankful to the first responders for their quick action,” the hospital said in a statement.
The crash happened less than 3 miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.
The plane, a Learjet 55, quickly disappeared from radar after taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m. and climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet.
Officials tell FOX 29’s Steve Keeley at least six people were treated for injuries at local hospitals. Three were treated and released. Three others were listed in stable condition.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have yet to confirm any fatalities among flight passengers on the ground.
The total extent of the damage also remains unclear, as officials have not said how many homes, cars, or business were impacted.
Officials have also not said how many people had been displaced or evacuated from their homes following the crash.
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES – JANUARY 31: A view of the wreckage from a small plane after it crashed in a residential area in the US city of Philadelphia on January 31, 2025. The aircraft, reportedly an air ambulance, took off from the Northeast Phil
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Whether or not weather conditions played a role remains to be seen. FOX 29’s Drew Anderson says ice would most likely not have been a factor due to the plane’s altitude at the time of the crash.
When the plane took off, the pilots did have to deal with some rain and may have experienced some white-out conditions from low cloud coverage.
Trump, Shapiro react
What they’re saying:
President Donald Trump released a statement on Truth Social, stating “innocent lives lost.”
“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. More to follow. God Bless you all.”
Philly plane crash: 911 dispatchers respond to plane crash
911 dispatchers were alerted to a plane crashing into a Philadelphia neighborhood and call out first responders to the scene.
Vice President J.D. Vance also sent his thoughts and prayers in a post on social media.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro responded to the scene and spoke alongside Mayor Parker during a press briefing.
Philly plane crash: Officials walk neighborhood of crash scene
Philadelphia City Councilmember walks neighborhood of plane crash scene making sure residents are coping.
“What you’re seeing here is a unified response to an awful aviation disaster. For as awful as that aviation disaster was… Tonight we also saw the best of Philly. We saw neighbor helping neighbor. We saw Pennsylvanians looking out for one another.”
During the briefing, Parker also urged anyone who may be in the area not to touch any debris they see from the crash. Instead, debris discoveries should be called in to 9-1-1.
Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair, a nearby neighborhood, when he heard a loud bang and his house shook. He said it felt like a mini earthquake and when he checked his home security camera footage, he said it looked like a missile was coming down.
“There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second,” he said.
Video shows object fall from sky, fireball on Cottman Ave
Videos of crash emerge:
A doorbell camera captured footage of the plane plunging in a streak of white and exploding as it hit the ground near a shopping mall and major roadway.
Listen: Doorbell cam captures sound of plane crash
Moments before the Philadelphia plane crash, a doorbell camera captured the sound of the Learjet’s screaming engines, followed by the blinding fireball. Video provided by Kiara Rios.
Multiple videos with angles from doorbell cameras also picked of the audio of neighbors and witness screaming as they looked on.
FOX 29’s Steve Keeley reported stepping over debris as he responded to the scene, including what appeared to be air tanks. Keeley also spoke with witnesses inside a diner who reported having seen a patron struck by debris that had flown in through the window.
Philly plane crash: Nearby diner patron hit by plane crash debris
A plane crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood sending debris into a diner, seriously injuring a patron who was hit in the head.
Other bystanders shared video showing debris, some still on fire, strewn along nearby parking lots, roadways, and yards.
As the scene at the site of the crash began to clear, several burnt out cars were observed in the roadway.
Dig deeper:
The crash came just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.
Aviation attorney reacts
What they’re saying:
Aviation attorney, John Gagliano, joined Good Day Philadelphia Weekend Saturday morning to address the crash.
Aviation attorney addresses deadly plane crash in Philly
Aviation attorney, John Gagliano, provides his expert opinion after a plane crashed in Northeast Philadelphia Friday night.
What’s next:
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.
The NTSB, FBI and FAA arrived on scene overnight Saturday.
The Source: Information included in this article was gathered from reporters on the ground and also confirmed by officials who spoke at the scene or issued public statements. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
