A medical jet carrying a child patient crashed in Northeast Philadelphia shortly after takeoff, causing a fiery explosion Friday night. Flight data shows the Learjet 55 made a stop at Opa-locka Executive Airport before it flew to Pennsylvania. Its final stop was Mexico.
A medical jet that crashed shortly after takeoff in Northeast Philadelphia was in Opa-locka earlier Friday before flying to Pennsylvania, according to flight data.
FlightAware data showed that the Learjet 55 left Opa-locka Executive Airport at around noon and arrived at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) at around 2 p.m.
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The jet departed PNE after 6 p.m. and was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The jet crashed shortly after takeoff.
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The company Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which provides global air ambulance services, released a statement stating six people, including a pediatric patient, were on board. The girl received care for a life-threatening illness in the United States.
She was returning to Tijuana, Mexico. The others on the plane included her mother, a pilot, a copilot, a doctor and a paramedic. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance does not believe anyone on the plane survived the crash.
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The crash happened less than 3 miles from the airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights. Photos taken at the crash site appear to show residential homes on fire. 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.
The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center. City officials confirmed one person in a vehicle was killed in the crash.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. The NTSB, which investigates air crashes, said it was gathering information about the crash.
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 in that crash.
