A small plane crashed and exploded in Northeast Philadelphia, leaving multiple homes destroyed and reported casualties. According to Fox29, the accident occurred just after 6 p.m. on Friday, near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard. The aircraft, a Learjet 55, departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri with two people on board.
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Law enforcement confirmed that the small plane was on a medical assignment at the time of the crash. Witnesses told the media outlet that multiple cars were on fire following the plane went down in the residential area. One witness revealed to 6ABC that the plane crash was “earthquakish.”
“It was just horrific,” he explained. “I was just driving down the street, coming to Wendy’s, and I just saw a plane basically hit the building, and it exploded. The sky light up and I pulled over and basically it was just real bad around here.”
He repeatedly added that the terrifying crash “lit up the whole sky.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter) and said he had spoken to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker about the accident. He and his team remain in communication with Philadelphia police and fire departments.
“We are offering all Commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly,” Shapiro wrote. He then stated he would continue to provide updates as more information is available.
The Philadelphia Fire Department has advised all residents to avoid the area of Calvert and St. Vincent streets. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.
The Philadelphia Plane Crash Occurred Less than 48 Hours After the Midair Collision in Washington, DC
The plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia occurred less than two days after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter as it was flying into Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
After the collision, both aircraft fell into the nearby Potomac River. The water temperature was hovering around below freezing.
The commercial plane, which was carrying 64 people, was en route from Wichita, Kansas. The Black Hawk helicopter was conducting a night exercise. There were three soldiers on the aircraft.
Tragically, the midair collision left 67 people dead. There were no survivors. Among those who perished in the crash were 14 members of the figure skating community. The skaters were returning home from a US Figure Skating camp in Wichita.
The Skating Club of Boston was among the skating organizations devastated by the crash.
Doug Zeghibe, the club’s CEO and executive director, revealed that six of the victims were from the Boston club. There were two coaches, two teen athletes, and two mothers of the athletes.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe stated to ABC News. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six or seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
The accident remains under investigation.