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A medical transport jet carrying a pediatric patient and five others crashed into a north-east Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday evening, erupting in a fireball and setting several homes ablaze just 30 seconds after taking off.
According to Sean Duffy, the secretary of transportation, there were at least six people on the plane which police say was on medical assignment.
“We cannot confirm any survivors,” Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said in a statement. “Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground.”
Shai Gold, a spokesperson for Jet Rescue, spoke to a local NBC affiliate about the people on board the crash. The pediatric patient, a girl, was returning to Tijuana, Mexico. The others on the plane included her mother, a pilot, a co-pilot, a doctor and a paramedic, Gold said.
“All I can say is, the patient was sponsored by a third-partner charity to undergo life-saving treatment in the US,” Gold said. “She did her course of care. She was going home.
“She fought quite a lot to survive, and unfortunately, this tragedy on the way home.”
The crash happened less than 3 miles (4.8km) from Northeast Philadelphia airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights. Photos taken at the crash site appear to show residential homes on fire.
Fire officials confirmed that multiple structures were on fire following the crash around 6pm ET in the area of Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement at about 6.40pm, confirming the crashed plane was a Learjet 55 and had initially said two people were on board. The agency later changed that assessment to confirm that six people were involved.
In addition to several flight crew members, sources say there was a pilot, medic, flight crew and a child patient with an adult escort.
“The plane was en route to Springfield-Branson National airport in Missouri. The FAA and NTSB will investigate,” the FAA statement read.
Flight data showed a small jet taking off from the airport at 6.06pm and disappearing from radar about 30 seconds later after climbing to an altitude of 1,600 ft (487 meters).
The plane was a medical transport jet. The plane that took off and quickly disappeared from radar was registered to a company operating as Med Jets.
It was unclear what led to the crash or the status of the six people. Police said people on the ground were reported injured as well.
Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair on Friday 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.
Philadelphia governor Josh Shapiro posted on social media that he is in communication with the mayor and emergency responders. “We are offering all Commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly.”
Videos posted on social media show a large explosion and a plume of smoke rising from the area.
The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center where first responders were blocking traffic and onlookers crowded onto a street corner in the residential neighborhood of Rhawnhurst. Philadelphia’s emergency management office said that roads are closed in the area.
One cellphone video taken by a witness moments after the plane crashed showed a chaotic scene with debris scattered across the intersection. A wall of orange glowed just beyond the intersection as a plume of black smoke quickly rose into the sky, while some witnesses could be heard crying and sirens blared.
Jet Rescue, according to its website, is a licensed and insured company that has more than 20 years of experience providing critical care air ambulance services from Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean to the US and Canada.
This crash comes just two days after a commercial airliner collided with a military helicopter near Reagan Washington National airport outside of Washington DC, killing all 67 aboard both aircrafts.
