PHILADELPHIA (AFP) – A small jet with six people onboard crashed into a busy Philadelphia suburb Friday, officials said, showering wreckage over a wide areas and sparking blazes that caused extensive damage to homes and vehicles.
The aircraft, which the Federal Aviation Administration said was a Learjet 55 executive aircraft, crashed around 2330 GMT into the densely-populated district of the city, packed with homes, shops and busy roads.
It was bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, and had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, the FAA said in a statement confirming that it would investigate along with the National Transportation Safety Board.
“We have no reports on the number of fatalities,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at the scene, adding “several dwellings and vehicles were impacted.”
Governor Josh Shapiro, who the mayor said was heading to the crash site, said he was “offering all resources as (emergency services) respond to the small private plane crash.”
“We’ll continue to provide updates as more information is available.”
The crash in the city on the US East Coast came just two days after a passenger jet and military helicopter collided off Washington’s Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people in the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century.
US President Donald Trump on Friday took to his Truth Social platform to say he was “sad” to see “more souls lost” in the Philadelphia tragedy, praising first responders and adding: “God Bless you all.”
