'Like a missile coming down': Videos capture Philadelphia plane erupting in flames, man on fire running for his life

A medical transport jet carrying a pediatric patient and five others crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Philadelphia on Friday evening, erupting into a fireball that engulfed multiple homes and vehicles in flames. Several videos of the horrific crash have gone viral on social media sending shock waves. The crash occurred just 30 seconds after the Learjet 55 took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, sending shockwaves through the densely populated Rhawnhurst neighbourhood.
Mayor Cherelle Parker, speaking at a news conference, said that information on fatalities was not immediately available.

However, she confirmed that several homes and vehicles had sustained significant damage. "This is still an active scene under investigation," she said.

Video: Man on fire
A horrific video has gone viral from the spot, where a man was seen running out of a huge fire from the crash site.

Commenting to the video, a user wrote, "What the hell is happening? Why are so many planes crashing? Are these all just coincidences?"

"This is horrific. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy," another commented.
"HORRIFYING. I pray from the depths of my heart that they were able to get immediate treatment and survive this tragedy. What a heartbreaking scene," the third one said.
Dramatic footages capture tragic moment
A doorbell camera captured the horrifying moment the jet plunged from the sky in a streak of white before exploding upon impact near Roosevelt Mall, a busy shopping centre. The footage shows an enormous fireball followed by thick black smoke billowing into the night sky.

"All we heard was a loud roar and didn't know where it was coming from. We just turned around and saw the big plume," said Jim Quinn, the homeowner whose doorbell camera recorded the incident.
The aircraft vanished from radar at an altitude of 1,600 feet just after taking off at 6.06 pm. It was en route to Springfield, Missouri, and registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.

Crash scene resembles a war zone
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and destruction. Cell phone footage taken in the aftermath showed debris scattered across the intersection, vehicles burned beyond recognition, and homes severely damaged. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, with police and fire trucks flooding the area and cordoning off a wide perimeter around the crash site.

Michael Schiavone, 37, who lives in the nearby Mayfair neighbourhood, said his house shook from the explosion. "It felt like a mini earthquake. When I checked my security camera, it looked like a missile was coming down. There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second," he said.

Investigation underway amid aviation tragedies
The National transportation safety board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation. The Federal aviation administration (FAA) has also confirmed that it is gathering information about the crash. Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro assured residents that all available state resources were being mobilized to assist in the response.
This crash comes just two days after another tragic air disaster in the US. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided midair with an Army helicopter in Washington, DC, killing everyone on board both aircraft.
The owner of the crashed Learjet, Jet Rescue, is an air ambulance service provider based in Mexico. The company is known for high-profile medical evacuations, including flying baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019. A message seeking comment was left with Jet Rescue’s U.S. headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as the investigation unfolds.