A Learjet 55 business jet en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri and carrying six people crashed near Philadelphia on Friday.
The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. local time, shortly after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, the US Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The FAA had initially said two people were on board.
The FAA and the US National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident. The Mexico-registered jet is owned and operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, according to Flightradar24.
The accident occurred less than 48 hours after a midair collision involving an American Airlines Group Inc. regional jet and a US Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. There were no survivors in Wednesday's crash, which took 67 lives, and was the worst fatal air accident in the US in decades.
Numerous videos posted on social media of the crash near Philadelphia showed the plane explode, likely a result of the large amount of jet fuel it would have been carrying upon take-off.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that investigators were already at the accident site. He said he had briefed President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and his department was offering full support to local officials.
I've spoken with @PhillyMayor and my team is in communication with @PhillyPD @PhilaOEM, and @PhillyFireDept. We are offering all Commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly.
February 1, 2025
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