The devastating jet crash in Northeast Philadelphia shocked the region and remained under investigation as of Saturday morning.
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The crash took place just past 6:05 p.m. near Roosevelt Mall in the area of the intersection of Cottman and Bustleton Avenues, which sits just over 3 miles from the Bucks County border.
The crashed jet, which was identified as a Learjet 55, had just taken off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport when it went down.
The crash claimed the lives of all six aboard, including a pilot, medic, flight crew, a young female patient, and her mother, according to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
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The young girl was a patient returning to Tijuana, Mexico after receiving treatment at Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. The trip was sponsored by a charity for her lifesaving care.
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the president of Mexico, confirmed in a social media post that all deceased were Mexican nationals.
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In addition to the aircrew and passengers, numerous individuals on the ground suffered injuries from the crash, city officials said.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said one person on the ground died and at least 19 others were treated at area hospitals.
Early reports indicated that the aircraft was in the air for only a minute before it plummeted to the ground.
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“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 Parker. “Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash.”
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Gov. Josh Shapiro was at the scene Friday night.
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“This is when you see the best of Philly,” Shapiro said of the response.
“As we work to obtain more information, please join me in praying for the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene, the passengers on board, their families, and all the residents of our neighboring Philadelphia community impacted by this unbelievably heartbreaking situation,” Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said.
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State resources, including the Pennsylvania State Police, PEMA, PennDOT, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, were deployed to assist city and federal officials with the aftermath. Troopers from Lower Bucks County were at the scene assisting.
Eyewitness accounts and social media videos showed the crash and the aftermath.
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A LevittownNow.com reader, who was traveling home from work in Northeast Philadelphia, said they saw a bright orange flash in the sky around the time of the crash. They didn’t report hearing an explosion, but they did see police vehicles and fire trucks rushing toward the Roosevelt Mall minutes later.
Fox 29 aired video of air canisters from the plane that flew a great distance from the crash site.
Northeast Philadelphia Airport is owned by the city and is among the busiest airports in the state.
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