A medical transport jet crashed shortly after takeoff in the northeast region of Philadelphia Friday. A child patient, a passenger and four crewmembers were aboard, according to a statement from Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.
"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 in the statement.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker confirmed that all six people on board were killed. She added that a person on the ground was also killed.
"This is a tragedy in our City. People have lost their lives and many injured in this horrific crash and the damage is significant," she said. "Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash. We are unified in our approach - a One Philly philosophy with all hands-on deck."
Officials said 19 injuries occurred in nearby parking lots, streets, cars and homes.
"The area of impact, that area is roughly four to six blocks, and we also have debris in remote areas where something happened with the aircraft and that's something we'll need to leave the NTSB to talk about," said Adam Thiel, managing director who serves as the city's chief operating officer. "So it's a very widespread area and we are still trying to understand the entire scope."
The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center.
The crash caused a fire that burned multiple homes and damaged several vehicles, according to fire officials. Photos from the scene show fires in residential buildings sending thick columns of smoke into the air.
The crash occurred less than three miles from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which frequently serves small planes and business jets. The FAA says the plane was a small business-style jet that was bound for Springfield, Missouri. The FAA put a ground stop in place at the airport following the incident.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was directing state resources to respond to the crash.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about the incident on Friday night.
"More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged," he wrote. "First responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow."
The National Transportation Safety Board was gathering details about the crash on Friday night.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
