A small aircraft crashed shortly after taking off in Northeast Philadelphia near Roosevelt Mall on Friday night.
Surveillance footage appeared to capture the plane hitting the ground near the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue around 6:30 p.m. on January 31, 2025.
According to the FAA, a Learjet 55 had just departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when the incident occurred.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy reported that there were six individuals onboard. Emergency responders at the scene indicated that those onboard included two doctors, two pilots, a patient, and presumably a family member of the patient.
It remains uncertain whether anyone was ejected or managed to escape. Several injuries have been reported on the ground, and numerous homes in the vicinity have caught fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, with the NTSB taking the lead on the investigation.
This incident follows closely after a commuter plane and helicopter collided near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport, resulting in multiple fatalities, including two members of the UD Figure Skating Club.
