New tragedy in the American skies, a few days after the collision between a commercial flight and a military helicopter over Washington that caused the death of 67 people. A medium-sized private jet, registered in Mexico and used for medical emergencies, crashed in a commercial and residential area in northeast Philadelphia, causing a huge fire that affected the surrounding homes.
All six on board died, including the little patient.
It is unclear whether there were any casualties on the ground. The plane, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said was a Learjet 55, crashed around 6:30 p.m. local time, or 12:30 a.m. EDT, in a densely populated neighborhood of the Pennsylvania city with homes, shops, and busy streets as well as a busy shopping center on Friday night. It had taken off from the local airport and was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said the state is “providing all necessary resources in connection with the crash of a small plane in Philadelphia.” In a post on X, the Democrat added that he is in contact with “city officials” and will “provide updates as they come in.”
Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management wrote on X that a “major incident” was in progress and nearby roads were closed, urging the public to avoid the area. Dozens of first responders rushed to the crash site from Roosevelt Mall. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the Washington tragedy, said they had opened an investigation.
(Online Union)
