Aerial footage captures the devastating aftermath on a Pennsylvania street after a small plane carrying crashed. The twin-engine business jet had taken off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport only moments before it nosedived and erupted into a massive fireball on Friday evening.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy confirmed that the aircraft, a Learjet 55, had six people on board, including a child who had recently undergone “life-saving treatment” and was traveling back home with her mother. Drone footage captured the devastating aftermath, showing the chaos unfolding on the ground. A one-minute video shared on X showed a normally busy street lined with homes and businesses consumed by massive, bright-orange flames.
Devastation on Street
Thick, dark smoke billowed into the sky as multiple fires continued to rage along the roadway. Several homes facing the street were seen engulfed in flames, while emergency vehicles with flashing lights surrounded the area, blocking access from both directions.
Businesses near Roosevelt Mall were also caught in the inferno, along with several parked cars that had been set ablaze.
Glowing debris was scattered across the entire neighborhood, illuminating the wreckage. According to CBS, fragments from the crash extended as far as Tyson Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The fiery catastrophe was also caught on a doorbell camera, capturing two unsuspecting individuals stepping outside their home.
Mere seconds into the footage, a bright white streak appeared, accelerating rapidly before a flash of intense light engulfed the sky—sending the witnesses into a state of sheer panic.
Terrified screams echoed as they rushed back inside, seeking refuge from the devastating impact. The deafening explosion, resembling the sound of shattering glass, was immediately followed by an eerie orange glow filling the sky.
Around 6:07 p.m., the aircraft had just departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, beginning its journey to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
Shocking Scene
Less than five minutes later, disaster struck as the aircraft lost control. Authorities received their first emergency call at 6:12 p.m., alerting them to the tragic incident. Locals told CBS that their homes trembled from the impact of the crash.
According to NBC, those on board included a pilot, copilot, doctor, paramedic, a young patient, and the child’s mother.
The pediatric patient, a young girl, had been receiving treatment in the U.S. for a life-threatening condition and was on her way back to Tijuana, Mexico.
“All I can say is, the patient was sponsored by a third-partner charity to undergo life-saving treatment in the US,” Shai Gold, a spokesman for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, told NBC.
“She did her course of care. She was going home,” he added. “She fought quite a lot to survive, and unfortunately, this tragedy on the way home.”
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance does not believe that anyone aboard the aircraft survived the crash.
The exact cause of the tragedy remains unclear, though it has been described as highly unusual, particularly since the jet—classified as a “high-performance” aircraft—had been given clearance for takeoff.