A Jet Rescue Air Ambulance carrying a young girl and her mother crashed in a fiery explosion shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport on Friday evening. The plane, en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, was transporting the family home to Tijuana, Mexico. There were also four crew members.
The aircraft went down just 30 seconds after takeoff, reaching an altitude of 1,600 feet (487m) and traveling about three miles (5km) before crashing near Roosevelt Mall in the Rhawnhurst area at around 6:30 p.m. local time. The impact set multiple homes ablaze, with emergency crews working for nearly two hours to extinguish the fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that four crew members were also on board. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a Mexico-based company, said it was unable to confirm any survivors.
“This was a very seasoned crew,” said Shai Gold, who works in corporate strategy for the company. “We are terribly shocked by this tragic turn of events. We fly 600 to 700 times a year, and we don’t really know what happened.”
A doorbell camera captured the aircraft plummeting from the sky in a streak of white before exploding upon impact. Local resident Jim Quinn, who owns the camera, described the moment: “All we heard was a loud roar and didn’t know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume.” Dashcam footage from a nearby vehicle also recorded the crash.
While there were reports of injuries on the ground, officials have not yet confirmed any details.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed condolences, saying, “We want to offer our thoughts and serious prayers for those grieving at this moment.”
Former President Donald Trump reacted to the tragedy on social media, writing: “So sad to see the crash. More innocent souls are lost. Our people are totally engaged. First responders are already being given credit for doing a great job.”
The FAA stated that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would lead the investigation. An NTSB investigator arrived at the scene on Friday night, and additional officials were expected to join on Saturday.
The crash comes just days after another fatal aviation accident in Washington, D.C., where a passenger plane collided with a US Army helicopter during landing, killing all 64 people on board the plane and three on the helicopter.
