7 Killed, 19 Injured In Northeast Philadelphia Plane Crash

Update: Several Victims Of Philadelphia Plane Crash Identified

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Seven people including a child are dead and at least 19 injured after a small medical plane crashed Friday evening in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood, officials said Saturday.

The death toll includes all six people aboard the air ambulance, including a child, and a person on the ground, according to Philadelphia officials.

Nineteen injured victims were brought to local hospitals after the air ambulance crashed into the neighborhood. Officials did not provide their conditions and stressed that the casualty total could increase over the coming days.

"We are working closely with National Transportation Safety Board, all our local, state and federal partners," said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. "We're grateful for everyone's assistance."

A pediatric patient and her mother traveling back to Mexico after receiving medical treatment in the United States were among the six people aboard a plane. The other four occupants were crew members.

A person in a car was also killed, Parker said.

It could take days to determine how many people were killed or hurt, since there are "a lot of unknowns" as to who was in the area of the plane crash, said Philadelphia Managing Director Adam Thiel.

The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance crashed around 6:30 p.m. near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Blvd. Flight logs show it was only in the air for a minute before crashing.

It departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

The FAA has confirmed six people were on board. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico confirmed via social media that six people of Mexican nationality were traveling on the plane that crashed.

According to information released by Shriners Children’s, the patient had received care from Shriners Children's Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico when the crash happened.

"Because of patient privacy concerns we cannot say any more about the patient and her family at this time," Shriners Children's said in the statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the medical crew and pilots who were also lost in this tragic event - as well as all of the people who were affected on the ground - and we're thankful to the first responders for their quick action."

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it is investigating the crash. An NTSB investigator arrived on the scene Friday, and additional investigators will arrive Saturday, the agency said via social media.

The impact of the crash caused a large explosion and resulting fires.

Video from the scene shows debris, smoke and fire throughout the area. Another video shows an aerial view of the aftermath.

Multiple streets were closed in the area due to "aircraft response and investigation." A list of those closures can be found here. The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said "closures may be lengthy. Expect delays of surrounding roads and avoid area."

Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai Gold told The Associated Press that the flight’s final destination was Tijuana after a stop in Missouri. Gold said this was a seasoned crew and everyone involved in these flights goes through rigorous training.

“When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising,” Gold told The Associated Press. “All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.”

During a news conference late Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said officials expected fatalities. “We know that there will be loss,” he said.

The crash came just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet with 64 people aboard collided with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.

Friday night's crash was the second fatal incident in 15 months for Jet Rescue. In 2023 five crew members were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.