Philadelphia Tragedy: Plane Carrying Child Patient Crashes Near Mall; Sets Homes, Cars on Fire- wna24

Philadelphia: Days after the horrific Washington Plane Crash that claimed lives of 67 people, another plane crash has been reported, this time in Philadelphia. A small aircraft has crashed near Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia, setting nearby houses on fire; multiple casualties are feared…

The medical transport jet carrying a pediatric patient and five others slammed into a Philadelphia neighborhood about 30 seconds after taking off on Friday, erupting in a fireball and engulfing several homes in fire. Mayor Cherelle Parker said Wednesday night at a news conference that information on fatalities wasn’t immediately known but several homes and vehicles had been damaged. “This is still an active scene under investigation,” she said.

Flight data showed a small jet taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m. and disappearing from radar about 30 seconds later after climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 meters). 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. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said two people were aboard the plane, which was a Learjet 55. The plane, a small, business-type jet, was en route to Springfield, Missouri. The plane appeared to be a medical transport jet. The plane that took off and quickly disappeared from radar was registered to a company operating as Med Jets.

”The crash happened less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) 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. Philadelphia’s emergency management office said that roads are closed in the area. Two people were on board at the time of the crash.

While casualties are not confirmed, according to the local news, at least six people have been killed in the plane crash. Apart from those who were in the aircraft, ground casualties are also expected.

A video has captured the exact moment when the small aircraft crashed near a mall in Northeast Philadelphia. A large fire can be seen erupting following the crash. 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.

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.