US: Small plane carrying 6 crashes in Philadelphia

A small medical plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the US city of Philadelphia on Friday.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company that operated the plane, said its aircraft was carrying six people. 

That included four crew members, one child medical patient and the patient's mother on board.

There is no confirmation that any survived, the company said.

All six people on the plane were Mexican nationals, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry added on social media platform X that the airline company "confirmed to the consulate that six people of Mexican nationality were traveling on the aircraft." 

The plane's operator said that the child was being treated for a life-threatening condition and was being taken home to Mexico at the time of the crash.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote on social media that the government is offering all resources while emergency services respond to the crash.

"We'll continue to provide updates as more information is available."

He later visited the scene of the crash, telling a press conference that "we know there will be loss in this region."

Witnesses told local media they saw body parts in or near the wreckage. Philadelphia City Council member Mike Driscoll cited fears of discovering deaths among residents or others on the ground.

Plane crashed near shopping mall

The plane crashed shortly after 6 p.m. in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia, police said.

The usually crowded mall is an outdoor shopping center with dozens of stores and restaurants in the residential neighborhood of Rhawnhurst.

The crash scattered debris across a wide area, sparking fires that severely damaged homes and vehicles.

Local media reported that at least one house and multiple cars caught on fire.

Flight data showed the Learjet 55 took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m. and disappeared from radar 30 seconds later at 1,600 feet (490 meters)

The weather was cold and rainy and with low visibility at the time of the crash.

According to the FAA, the plane was bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri from after taking off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and charter flights.

The crash happened less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the airport.

Major incident declared

One resident who lives in the vicinity of the crash site, said his doorbell camera captured footage of the plane falling from the sky.

"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," they told the Associated Press.

Another nearby resident said he heard a loud bang and his house shook, which felt like a mini earthquake.

"There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second," he said.

Emergency crews responded to the crash site, with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management closing roads in the area declaring a "major incident."

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates air crashes, is looking into the crash.

US President Donald Trump reacted to the crash on his Truth social network.

"So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost," he said.

"Our people are totally engaged. First responders are already being given credit for doing a great job."

The crash follows a deadly mid-air collision in Washington DC, earlier this week.

ss/zc (AP, AFP, Reuters)