A little girl was among six people dead after a plane careered into a city neighborhood in US's second aircraft tragedy this week. The youngster was travelling with her mother and four others in the Learjet 55, a medical transport jet, when it crashed. The child had been treated for a life-threatening condition and was being transported home to Mexico but tragedy struck, according to Shai Gold, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance spokesperson.

The medical transport jet exploded in a fireball which has engulfed several homes in Northeastern Philadelphia. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which operated the jet, today confirmed no one aboard survived. Further casualties - and fatalities - were feared among those living in the houses along Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard, where horror footage shows the plane had burst into flames. The crash came just two days after the deadliest US air disaster in a generation. On Wednesday night, an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington DC, with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors in that crash either.

Emergency services continued to work in Northeastern Philadelphia, where "an active scene was under investigation". A major incident was declared by authorities at around 6pm on Friday. Since then, shocked witnesses in the Pennsylvania city expressed their distress. Michael Schiavone, aged 37, heard a loud bang and his house shook. He said it felt like a mini earthquake and when he checked his home security camera footage, he said it looked like a missile was coming down. He said: "There was a large explosion, so I thought we were under attack for a second.".

Thank you for following our live blog. It has now ended. Thank you for following our live blog coverage of the plane crash in Philadelphia. It was the second deadly aircraft horror in the US in just two days. Our live blog has now ended but keep an eye on The Mirror for new updates today. An air ambulance provides transportation to people in critical or life-threatening situations when a ground ambulance can’t reach a patient or wouldn’t get to them fast enough.

They help boost a patient's odds of surviving and recovering, particularly in rural areas that don't have trauma or burn centers, according to a 2017 U.S. Government Accountability Office report. They've grown in importance as more rural hospitals have closed, according to a medical journal report from 2022. Air ambulances can be either a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft. Helicopters are generally used to take patients between hospitals or from the scene of an accident to a hospital. The airplane versions fly longer distances between airports.

Helicopters make up 74% of all air ambulances, according to the GAO report. The Philadelphia crash involved a Learjet 55, a small business jet. President Trump posted on Truth Social saying: "So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. "Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.".

CNN obtained audio between the air traffic controller and the plane after the collision, in which the controller asks: "Medevac med service, northeast tower. Medevac med service, northeast tower. Are you on frequency?". After a period of silence, the controller is then heard saying: "We have a lost aircraft.". The Philadelphia Office of Emergency are advising locals to stay away from the area. The aircraft appeared to hit several buildings and cars in the area leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Flightradar data says the plane had reached an altitude of 1,650 feet before reporting a vertical drop of -11,008 fpm. Officials in the city said that police and fire crews are on the scene, with nearby roads being closed. All six people aboard were from Mexico. The child had been treated in Philadelphia for a life-threatening condition and was being transported home to Mexico, according to Shai Gold, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance spokesperson. The flight’s final destination was Tijuana, Mexico, after a stop in Missouri.

The patient and her mother were on board along with four crew members. Mr Gold said this was a seasoned crew and that everyone involved in these flights goes through rigorous training. Mr Gold said: "When an incident like this happens, it’s shocking and surprising, All of the aircraft are maintained, not a penny is spared because we know our mission is so critical.". The plane’s owner, Jet Rescue, provides global air ambulance services. The company, based in Mexico, flew baseball hall of famer David Ortiz to Boston after he was shot in the Dominican Republic in 2019 and was involved in transporting patients critically ill with COVID-19.