A medical transport jet (Medevac) carrying a child patient, her mother and four others crashed into a Philadelphia neighbourhood in the US about 30 seconds after taking off, erupting in a fireball and engulfing several homes in flames.
The crash occurred shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday. Multiple videos showed the plane plummeting from the sky, crashing to the ground and a massive explosion shortly after. Several homes in the area caught fire.
This was the second fatal air crash in the US in 48 hours, after the mid-air collision of an American Airlines CRJ 700 carrying 64 people on board and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three crew in Washington, DC. All 67 people died in the crash.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Medevac plane was a Learjet 55 that left Northeast Philadelphia Airport and was headed for Springfield-Branson National Airport and stopping in Missouri before travelling to its final destination of Tijuana, Mexico. A girl who was returning to Mexico after receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness in the US was among the six people on board the flight. The girl’s mother, a pilot, copilot, doctor and paramedic were also on board.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which operated the Learjet 55, said in a statement, “We cannot confirm any survivors.” There was no immediate word whether anyone on the ground died, but at least six people were treated for injuries at a hospital. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation.
– NBC
