Plane crashes near shopping mall and sets homes on fire
A small plane reportedly crashed near a mall and homes in Philadelphia.
The crash happened close to Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia on Friday evening, two days after an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, DC.
‘Major incident near Cottman and Bustelton Avenues in Northeast Philadelphia across from Roosevelt Mall,’ wrote the city of Philadelphia on X (formerly Twitter).
‘Roads closed in area including parts of Roosevelt Boulevard. Avoid area.’
The crash set off an explosion and set several homes and cars on fire near the 2900 block of Cottman Avenue.
Learjet 55 departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport around 6.30pm and were heading to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which was operating the aircraft.
There were four crew members on board and two passengers, who included a pediatric patient and an escort. The air ambulance could not confirm any survivors.
‘Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground,’ stated Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, according to Fox News.
The company said it would not release any of the names until their families were notified.
A video showed the plane smashing into the ground and a bright explosion following. A medical oxygen tank was among debris on the ground outside a McDonald’s at the crash site.
The homes reportedly caught ablaze from jet fuel released by the aircraft. The fires are ‘under control’, a senior fire official told Fox News.
President Donald Trump addressed the crash on his Truth Social platform on Friday night.
‘So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged,’ he wrote.
‘First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.’
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he briefed Trump on the crash and that investigators were on site.
The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, which is taking the lead.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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