A small plane crashed near a shopping mall on a busy intersection in Northeast Philadelphia seconds after take off, said the Pennsylvania governor on Friday.
The crash took place less than 4 kilometres from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which primarily serves business jets and chartered flights, reported the Associated Press.
Footage from the crash site appears to show residential homes on fire.
The emergency management office in Philadelphia said there was a “major incident” at the crash site, and roads have been closed in the area.
🚨 WOW! Dashcam footage of the jet crashing into a high traffic area in Philadelphia
This is INSANE to watch. pic.twitter.com/saLyi0Z4Ga
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 1, 2025
Flight data showed a small jet taking off from the airport at 6:06 pm local time and disappearing from radar about 30 seconds after reaching an altitude of 1,600 feet.
A photo posted by the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management on social media platform X showed a thick cloud of smoke in the sky near the Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping centre with dozens of stores and restaurants in the residential neighbourhood of Rhawnhurst.
A dashcam footage being widely circulated on social media shows the jet falling from the sky and bursting into a huge ball of fire with plumes of black smoke.
The first responders were blocking traffic as onlookers crowded onto a street corner.
Two people were aboard the plane, a Learjet 55, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The small business-type jet was on its way to Springfield, Missouri. The National Transportation Safety Board will probe the incident, said the FAA.
The NTSB, which investigates air crashes said it was gathering information about the accident.