The small plane crash in a residential area of Northeast Philadelphia on Friday, Jan. 31, was captured in shocking doorbell camera and dashcam footage by local residents.
As previously reported, a Learjet 55 took off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m. local time and reached an altitude of 1,600 feet 30 seconds later before it disappeared from radar, according to the Associated Press.
The flight, per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was carrying six passengers and was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri before ABC News noted that it crashed near the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue by the Roosevelt Mall shopping center. Officials told the outlet that at least three nearby homes were set ablaze.
Since the crash, Philadelphians have been sharing glimpses of what they witnessed when the plane went down in their neighborhood.
One clip, apparently shot on a Blurams home security camera and shared on X by Philly Crime Update, shows what appeared to be a bight orange light appear in the sky around 6:07 p.m., behind a row of homes. A loud noise followed seconds later.
The crash was also captured by another neighbor’s doorbell camera, as Instagram user Domingo Colon shared footage shot on a Ring camera, showing two people exit a building and reacting to the plane coming down.
In the clip, two people can be seen talking with each other before turning their heads when hearing a loud noise and spotting what appeared to be the aircraft crashing in a nearby neighborhood. The camera’s screen then went completely white for a brief moment, a loud noise could be heard and a massive explosion appeared in frame as they ran back inside. The footage was originally reposted by local Fox affiliate WTXF and other local outlets.
Another clip circulating the internet was shot on a Vantrue dash cam and shared by multiple outlets, including CNN. The footage, posted to X by user @as1lmhsa, shows cars coming to a halt as the aircraft apparently went down on Cottman Avenue. After a fiery scene, some drivers could be seen getting out of their vehicles.
As the AP reported on Friday, the aircraft was owned by Jet Rescue, which provides global air ambulance services. The company said in a statement to PEOPLE that four crew members and two passengers were on board, including a pediatric patient and an escort. Jet Rescue could not “confirm any survivors.”
“Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground,” they said.
The child on board was a Shriners Children’s patient accompanied by her mother, as the hospital confirmed to PEOPLE that the two were returning to their home country of Mexico.
“Shriners Children’s is heartbroken to confirm that one of our pediatric patients and the child’s mother were aboard the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance that crashed in Philadelphia this evening,” the statement began.
“The patient had received care from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened. Because of patient privacy concerns, we cannot say any more about the patient and her family at this time.”
They continued, “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.”
On Saturday, the mayor’s office shared in a release that additional injuries had been reported on the ground.
“Many people on the ground — in parking lots, on streets, in cars and homes in the area — were injured; the number of injured is yet to be released but the information shared at this time reports that a number of people were transported to Temple University Hospital, Jeans Campus in the Northeast,” the statement read.
As Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker noted both on the city’s website and on X, shelter is also available for Philadelphians at the local Samuel Fels High School. Parker confirmed on Saturday in a statement that the crash led to casualties, “many” injuries and “significant” damage.
“Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash,” Parker wrote in a statement. “We are unified in our approach — a One Philly philosophy with all hands-on deck.”
“I am so grateful for the rapid response by the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management and Philadelphia Gas Works with federal, state, and local first responders who swarmed the scene in collaboration with all first responders on the ground,” she added.
Governor Josh Shapiro added in a statement, shared to the city’s website, that “this is when you see the best of Philly.”
The crash happened two days after 67 people died following a Black Hawk helicopter colliding with an American Airlines flight in Washington D.C.
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