Story ID: 
Medevac Learjet Crashes after Takeoff in Philadelphia
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: All six aboard—four crewmembers and two passengers—were killed in the accident
Word Count: 206
A Learjet 55 on medevac duty crashed Friday evening in northeastern Philadelphia shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport (KPNE). The Mexican-registered twinjet was headed to Missouri’s Springfield-Branson National Airport (KSGF) when it went down in a residential neighborhood less than three miles from KPNE. All six aboard died in the crash.
According to FlightAware, the Learjet—registered as XA-UCI and operated by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Jet Rescue Air Ambulance—arrived at KPNE at 2:16 p.m. on Friday after a flight from Miami–Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF). From KPNE, it was scheduled to fly to General Abelardo L. Rodriguez International Airport in Tijuana, Mexico.
After departing KPNE at about 6 p.m. ET, the aircraft reached an altitude of 1,650 feet before plunging to the ground. Surveillance videos captured the aircraft crashing with an enormous fireball on impact, which ignited several houses and vehicles in the residential area. Locals described the impact as “earthquake-like” and several injuries were reported on the ground.
A statement from the operator listed six occupants onboard the jet—two flight crew members, two medical personnel, and a pediatric patient and their escort. FAA and NTSB officials are on the scene to investigate the accident.