Niamh Shackleton
Just days after the fatal plane crash in Washington DC, another aircraft has crashed.
A medical transport jet carrying a child patient and five others slammed into a Philadelphia neighborhood about 30 seconds after taking off on Friday (January 31), erupting in a fireball and engulfing several homes in the fire.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said the young patient and her mother were on board, along with four crew members. All six people aboard were from Mexico.
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The child had been treated in Philadelphia for a life-threatening condition and was being transported home to Mexico, according to Jet Rescue Air Ambulance spokesperson Shai Gold.
The flight’s final destination was Tijuana after a stop in Missouri.
“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold said. “All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which is based in Mexico, said: "At this time we cannot confirm any survivors."
The crash happened less than three miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.
The plane, a Learjet 55, disappeared from radar after taking off from the airport at 6.06pm and climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters). It was en route to Springfield, Missouri, and registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.
The crash reportedly occurred less than a minute after the jet took flight.
The plane plummeted 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 neighbourhood of Rhawnhurst. Philadelphia’s emergency management office said that roads in the area were closed. It's unclear if they remain closed today (February 1).
The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) has confirmed that it will be investigating the presumed-fatal crash.
It said in a statement yesterday, as per its website: "A Learjet 55 crashed around 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 31, after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Six people were on board. The plane was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
"The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide all updates."
President Donald Trump took to TruthSocial to address the crash. He wrote: "So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged."
While at a news conference late on Friday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said that authorities expect fatalities in this 'awful aviation disaster'.
“We know that there will be loss,” he added.