According to officials, a small medical aircraft carrying six people crashed in the northeast of Philadelphia, resulting in an explosion and the ignition of several homes, with several individuals on the ground sustaining injuries.
The plane was en route to Springfield, Missouri, and the crash occurred shortly after the Learjet 55 took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
As reported by the air ambulance service Jet Rescue, among the six were four crew members, a pediatric patient—a girl from Mexico receiving treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia—and a representative from Jet Rescue accompanying the girl.
The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that six Mexican nationals were aboard the plane that crashed in northeast Philadelphia.
The causes of the crash remain unknown; the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, with the NTSB leading the inquiry.