Opa-locka, FL - A medical jet that crashed shortly after takeoff in Northeast Philadelphia had made a stop in Opa-locka earlier on the same day before heading to Pennsylvania.
According to FlightAware tracking data, the Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, departed from Opa-locka Executive Airport around noon on Friday, January 31st, 2025.
The aircraft arrived at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) approximately two hours later, at 2 p.m.
The jet remained at the Philadelphia airport for several hours before taking off again after 6 p.m., bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri.
The final destination was Tijuana, Mexico, where a pediatric patient on board was returning home after receiving medical treatment in the United States.
Shortly after takeoff, tragedy struck.
The aircraft crashed just minutes later, less than three miles from the airport, in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane plunge in a streak of white before it exploded upon impact, causing a massive fireball.
Nearby homes and vehicles were set ablaze, and the crash site was littered with debris..
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance confirmed that six people were aboard the flight: the young patient, her mother, the pilot, a copilot, a doctor, and a paramedic.
Authorities do not believe anyone survived the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
NTSB officials have begun gathering evidence at the crash site, including flight data, air traffic control recordings, and witness statements.
This incident follows another devastating aviation tragedy just two days earlier, when an American Airlines jet collided midair with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., resulting in no survivors.
Investigators are expected to examine whether there were any mechanical issues or weather conditions that contributed to the Philadelphia crash.
The NTSB has urged anyone with relevant information or footage of the incident to come forward as they work to determine what went wrong
