Small plane crashes in Northeast Philly; medical jet company says 6 on board; pediatric patient was on flight, hospital says
The crash happened shortly after 6 p.m. and resulted in a massive fireball.
Follow along here for the latest updates on the crash for Saturday, Feb. 1.
A small jet crashed Friday evening near Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the plane's owner, said there were six people on board at the time of the crash. The company could not confirm whether anyone survived.
One patient on board had received care at Shriner's Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, the hospital said. The child and their mother were returning home to Mexico, according to Shriner's.
The crash resulted in a massive fireball witnessed throughout the area, and multiple homes and businesses have been impacted, officials said.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has asked residents to stay away from the area, and to call 911 if they see debris near the crash. Extended road closures are expected.
Recap: Medical jet crashes near Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia in fiery scene
A medical jet with six people on board — including a pediatric patient — crashed Friday evening near the Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia, erupting into a massive fireball, scattering debris throughout the streets, and setting multiple homes and cars ablaze in a devastating scene.
In a briefing Friday night, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said there was no official number yet for how many people may have been killed or injured from the crash, but asked for the city’s prayers, and called the situation “all hands on deck.”
Droves of first responders filled the area near Bustleton and Cottman Avenues — a mix of commercial and residential, surrounded by strip shopping centers and abutting neighborhoods of rowhouses. Thick smoke hung in the air as police ushered onlookers away from the scene, and the mall was evacuated. The mayor urged residents in the immediate area to stay inside and not interfere with the ongoing response and investigation.
Jet Rescue previously had plane crash in Mexico in 2023
Another plane belonging to Jet Rescue Air Ambulance crashed in Mexico in 2023, according to news reports at the time and a LinkedIn post from the company's spokesperson.
News reports described the plane as a Learjet 35A. The jet that crashed in Philadelphia Friday was a Learjet 55.
In the 2023 incident, a Jet Rescue plane crashed after landing at Cuernavaca Airport in Morelos, Mexico. The plane had been flying in from Tuloca, Mexico, wrote Shai Gold, a Jet Rescue spokesperson, in his 2023 post. Gold did not immediately respond on Friday night to a request for comment on the previous crash.
Office of Emergency Management warns of potentially lengthy closures around crash site
Patient on crashed flight had received care at Shriner's Children's Hospital
A representative of Shriner's Children's Hospital in Philadelphia said they were "heartbroken" to confirm that one of their patients was on board the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance flight that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia Friday night.
The child, who is from Mexico, had received care at Shriner's and was returning home with her mother on "a contracted air ambulance," the hospital said. Shriner's declined to say more about the patient because of privacy concerns.
"Our hearts and prayers 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 wrote.
— Aubrey Whelan and Abraham Gutman
NTSB on scene investigating crash in Northeast Philly
Last fatal crash linked to Northeast Philadelphia Airport was in 2019
Before Friday's crash, the most recent fatal incident linked to Northeast Philadelphia Airport occurred in 2019, NTSB records show. In that incident, a single-engine Beech F33 lost control after takeoff and crashed in Hatboro killing all three occupants, a pediatric neurologist who worked at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and a professor at Drexel University College of Medicine, along with their teenage daughter.
The most recent non-fatal accident was in April, 2024 when a single-engine plane lost control during landing, causing extensive damage to the plane but no injuries.
Since 2000, the NTSB has launched 15 investigations connected with the airport, the third busiest in the state, including three incidents with fatalities and two involving minor injuries.
— Dylan Purcell
Police still determining how many cars burnt in crash were occupied
The plane fell from the sky at rapid speed, crashing into the Cottman Avenue amid rush hour traffic and creating an explosion that engulfed multiple cars, businesses, and homes in flames.
Police were still working to determine how many of those cars — now burnt shells — were occupied. The flames from the burning jet fuel were so strong, the heat could be felt over a block away, said a law enforcement source at the scene who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
First responders encountered an apocalyptic scene. A large crater was left in the middle of the burning road, and human remains scattered the area
— Ellie Rushing
Doorbell cameras capture moment plane crashed near Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philly
Shapiro arrives at crash site: 'For as awful as that aviation disaster was tonight, we also saw the best of Philly'
At the second briefing tonight by officials at the scene of the plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker again said she had no official numbers to provide on injuries or deaths, but she announced a shelter was being made available at Samuel Fels High School at 5500 Langdon Street.
Parker said an investigative team from the National Transportation Safety Board had arrived.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said that 45 troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police were assisting in Northeast Philadelphia. He said workers from PennDot and the Department of Environmental Protection, among others, also were assisting.
Young patient on flight came from Mexico to Philadelphia for medical treatment, company spokesperson says
Shai Gold, a spokesperson for Jet Rescue, said that the patient being transported was a Mexican national, a child who came to Philadelphia for medical care. She had been discharged after completing her course of care, Gold said, and was being escorted back to Mexico by her mother.
The aircraft was registered in Mexico, Gold said, and crewed by a pilot, copilot, flight physician, and paramedic.
That's the standard medical team on board Jet Rescue flights, Gold said. He could not comment on the child's age, her medical condition, or which hospital in Philadelphia she had received treatment at.
Fog and rain were in the area at the time of the crash
It was unclear if weather was a factor in Friday night’s small-plane crash in Northeast Philly, but conditions were far less than ideal, with reduced visibilities that are expected to persist into the early-morning hours..
At the time of the crash, about 6 p.m., light rain and fog were in progress with visibilities lowered to 5 to 7 miles, said Jon Porter, chief meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. He said the base layer of the clouds was 400 to 600 feet above the surface.
Porter said that the rains should shut off around 1 a.m. but that the fog was likely to continue until 3 a.m. Visibilities should improve after 3, according to the National Weather Service, but winds are forecast to gust past 20 mph before daybreak, and past 25 mph from 7 a.m. until midmorning.
— Anthony R. Wood
Plane that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia made 11 trips this week, flight logs show
Flight logs show the busy medical jet made 11 trips this week, including numerous flights within Mexico. In the US it made stops in Phoenix, Ariz., Santa Ana, Calif., and Albuquerque, N.M.
The Jet landed in Miami Thursday night from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It departed Florida this afternoon for it's trip to Philadelphia.
On the flight that lasted only a minute, the medical jet was scheduled to fly to Missouri’s Springfield Branson National Airport.
What we know about Jet Rescue, the company that owns the crashed plane
A 2018 profile by the trade publication Air Med and Rescue said that Jet Rescue is headquartered in Mexico City and "positions itself as the largest fixed-wing air ambulance company in Mexico and Central America."
The company specializes in "long-range, critical-care air ambulance missions" and "neonatal specialty care," Air Med and Rescue reported. On its website, Jet Rescue highlighted several instances where it helped transport newborns with serious health issues.
As of 2018, according to the Air Med and Rescue report, Jet Rescue's fleet of 10 Learjets includes two Learjet 55s, the type of airplane that crashed in Philadelphia on Friday.
— Aubrey Whelan
Six people treated at Temple University Hospital, others diverted elsewhere
Temple Health had been expecting to receive patients at its main campus in North Philadelphia, but those patients were diverted elsewhere, a spokesperson said.
In the meantime, six patients were being treated at Temple University Hospital-Jeanes Campus in Northeast Philadelphia. Three of those patients had been treated and released by 9:15 p.m., the spokesperson said.
Another three were still at the hospital in fair condition.
— Aubrey Whelan
Trump issues statement on crash: 'More innocent souls lost'
President Donald Trump commented on the small-plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia with a statement on Truth Social just after 9 p.m.
"So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged," Trump said. "First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all."
Trump's transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, shared minutes earlier in a post on X that he briefed the president and Gov. Josh Shapiro on from the headquarters of the Federal Aviation Administration.
— Abraham Gutman
Firefighters battled blazes in six homes near crash site
Philadelphia firefighters battled blazes in six homes on the 7200 block of Calvert Street as a result of the plane crash, according to Mike Bresnan, head of the union that represents firefighters and paramedics.
Bresnan, president of the International Brotherhood of Fire Fighters Local 22, said he wasn’t aware of any casualties from inside those homes, saying “our members got everybody out pretty quick.”
He said first responders relayed to him that the plane appeared to hit the street, and that fuel or fire spread to three or four homes on the end of Calvert Street, and that the blaze jumped to several other rowhouses from there. One roof collapsed, he said, which he described as "indicative of a fuel-based fire that burned very hot and quick.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy briefs Trump, Shapiro on crash
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker urges residents to stay away from crash scene, call 911 to report debris
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said there was no official number yet for how many people may have been killed or injured from the plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia, but she asked residents in the immediate area to stay inside and not interfere with the ongoing response and investigation.
"As of right now, we have no reports on the number of fatalities, so right now, we're just asking for prayers for any and everyone who may have been affected," Parker said to the media during a brief statement at the scene.
"We are urging you to please stay away from the scene. If you see debris, call 911, don't touch anything. This is still an active scene under investigation," Parker said.
Four crew members, two passengers were on board plane at time of crash, owner says
In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a medical flight company, posted that a Learjet 55 owned by the company, with the designation XA-UCI, crashed after taking off from Philadelphia.
The company wrote that four crew members and two passengers, a pediatric patient and their escort, were on board the plane.
The company said they could not confirm that anyone had survived the crash, and that names of those on board the flight would not be released until family members had been notified.
Multiple area homes, businesses impacted by crash, Rep. Jared Solomon says
Multiple businesses and homes were either hit by the plane as it descended or were otherwise impacted, according to state Rep. Jared Solomon, who represents the area and was on scene.
"[The plane] seemed to kind of ricochet into residential communities, that's where the fire occurred," he said. "There are cars burned to a crisp, charred on Cottman."
— Anna Orso
'Everything felt like it was moving'
Gudelia Coz was at home with her two children when what she described as an earthquake-like feeling shook her home.
“The kids started crying and everything felt like it was moving,” Coz, who lives by Macy’s, said in Spanish.
She opened her door to find what she described as an orange sky and black smoke.
Office of Emergency Management tells residents to expect extended road closures
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says six people were on board plane, contradicting FAA statement
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that six people were on board the plane that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia. That report contradicts the initial statement by the Federal Aviation Administration, which said two people were on the plane.
Duffy was sworn in earlier this week as President Donald Trump’s administration transportation chief.
The small-plane crash in Philadelphia is the second that Duffy had to respond to this week, following the Wednesday night midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger plane over the Potomac River that killed more than 60 people, the deadliest air disaster in almost a quarter century.
— Abraham Gutman
Temple Health expects to treat patients injured in crash
A spokesperson for Temple Health said that the hospital system is expecting to treat patients injured in the crash at its main campus in North Philadelphia, but could not provide further details on how many patients the hospital expected or their conditions.
— Aubrey Whelan
'The sky lit up'
Aniyah White, 16, said she was on the sidewalk on Roosevelt Boulevard with a friend when they looked up and saw a plane spiraling in the sky. It was on fire, she said, and rapidly descending.
“It was coming down on fire,” she said. “Then boom. Explosion everywhere.”
“The sky lit up,” she said.
— Ellie Rushing
Authorities still working to determine number of casualties, Councilmember Mike Driscoll says
A small plane that took off from the Northeast Philadelphia airport crashed into the street and authorities were still working to identify the number of casualties, according to City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, who represents the area and was on scene at 7:45 p.m.
Driscoll said it was still unclear how many people were on the plane. He cautioned initial reports could change.
“Something caused what looked like a fire in the air,” he said. “There have been reports of people running out in flames. This is bad.”
Two people on board plane when it crashed after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, FAA says
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement saying that a Learjet 55 that was on its way to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri has crashed around 6:30 p.m., shortly after taking off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Two people were on board, the agency said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash in the coming days.
— Abraham Gutman
Councilmember Kathy Gilmore advises residents to avoid the area and close their windows
'I have never seen anything like this'
Thick black smoke could be seen at a distance from the corner of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue.
A crowd of about a hundred bystanders stood behind caution tape on both sides of the Boulevard.
“There’s a plane that crashed” bystanders said. “What even happened?”
Video shows plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia
Aircraft that crashed was small private plane, Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman confirm
Roads closed near area of crash
'I thought we were getting attacked by something,' witness says
Ryan Tian, 23, of Delaware County, witnessed a huge explosion as he was getting dinner from a food truck located at a parking lot at Cottman and Bustleton Avenues.
Tian said he "saw the sky turning orange" and then a "massive fireball."
"I thought we were getting attacked by something," said Took, who took several photos of the fireball that appeared to rise from a residential block.
Plane crash reported near Roosevelt Mall
A plane reportedly crashed Friday evening in the area of Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia, police said.
Police reported that there was a possible plane crash shortly after 6 p.m. at Roosevelt Mall, which is located at Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue.
Police said there were multiple victims and the mall was being evacuated.