Air ambulance carrying 6 people, including child patient, crashes in Philadelphia

An air ambulance carrying six people, including a young girl, crashed near Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31 (U.S. time).

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said it could not confirm any survivors among those on board, which included four crew members, a pediatric patient, and the patient's escort, NBC News reported.

"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.

A spokesperson also stated that it is unlikely anyone on board survived.

Patient was returning home to Mexico

The Learjet 55 crashed around 6:30pm on Jan. 31 (7:30am SGT on Feb. 1) after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.

The plane was on the way to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.

There were six people aboard the plane: the pilot, a copilot, a physician, a paramedic, the patient, and the patient's escort.

The patient, a child who had come to the U.S. for "life-saving treatment," was returning to Mexico, according to Jet Rescue Air Ambulance spokesperson Shai Gold, who spoke with NBC Philadelphia.

"The treatment ran its course. She was ready to go home, and we were contracted to bring her back home to Mexico," Gold said.

Their final destination was Tijuana International Airport, after which the child was scheduled to travel home by ground ambulance.

Gold also noted that the cost of the flight was covered by an international charity.

Footage of the incident

Footage of the crash, captured by bystanders and doorbell cameras, showed the plane descending at an angle before crashing and bursting into flames.

A video of the aftermath showed a fire burning in the area.

Plane crashed on street, multiple cars and houses on fire #philly pic.twitter.com/3nQpr1IQt8

— リカ (@lika_4649) January 31, 2025

Other casualties

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker addressed reporters at a news conference at the crash site, confirming that the total number of fatalities was not yet known.

She added that “several dwellings and vehicles were also impacted” and urged nearby residents to stay home.

Meanwhile, six people were injured and taken to a hospital, NBC Philadelphia reported. None of them were on board the plane.

Three people were treated and released, while three others remain in the hospital, a source told NBC Philadelphia.

The injured include an 11-year-old boy with head injuries, a 31-year-old man with head injuries, and a 30-year-old woman with facial injuries, according to the source.

Investigation ongoing

Parker also said that investigators are "working as expeditiously as possible" on the case.

The FAA stated that it will work with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate.

“The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide all updates," the FAA said.

The crash occurred just days after the deadliest aviation incident in the U.S. in years, on Jan. 30.

Sixty-seven people were killed when an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people and a U.S. Army helicopter carrying three people collided near Washington, D.C.

Top photo from @lika_4649/X