Plane With 6 Aboard Crashes In Northeast Philadelphia

A small medical transport jet carrying six passengers en route to Missiour crashed in North Philadelphia.

According to 6 ABC News, the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. at Cottman Avenue and Bustleton Avenue near the Roosevelt Mall. The plane collided with several homes and immediately caused a blaze that spread throughout the area. Hundreds of firefighters and first responders are currently on the site of the fire.

The Philadelphia Fire Department advised residents “to avoid the area of Calvert and St. Vincent streets.”

 One witness on the scene described the crash as “earthquakish.” 

“It was just horrific. 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 lit up and I pulled over and basically, it was just real bad around here,” the witness stated.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, a Mexican-based company that provides global air ambulance services, noted that the passenger consisted of four crew members and two passengers, including a pediatric patient.

“At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors. No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified. Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families, and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground,” the company said in the statement.

At around 8:30 p.m., Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker spoke at a news conference saying she could not disclose the official number of fatalities.

“So right now we’re just asking for prayers,” she told reporters.

The mayor also urged residents not to touch any debris and to call 911 for any emergencies.

The Philadelphia crash follows the American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew members colliding with an Army helicopter with four crew members on Wednesday night. 

With no survivors, the crash is the deadliest U.S. air disaster in decades.