Philadelphia Plane Crash: Fireball Erupts After Small Aircraft Crashes Near Shopping Mall | VIDEO- wna24

Philadelphia: A small aircraft on Thursday evening crashed in Northeast Philadelphia 30 seconds after it took off. This incident comes just two days after a passenger jet and military helicopter collided near Washington DC.

As per reports, six people were onboard the aircraft which crashed just after 6 pm, less than 4.8 km from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport.  

A video of the Philadelphia crash shows a large ball of fire erupting in the city’s neighbourhood. Furthermore, a second video shows a huge blast with black smoke billowing in the background.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he is offering all “Commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly.”

The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall. In this outdoor shopping centre, 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 are closed in the area.

Michael Schiavone, 37, was sitting at his home in Mayfair when he heard a loud bang and his house shook. He said, “There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second.”

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 FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. The NTSB, which investigates air crashes, said it was gathering information about the crash.