Multiple deaths reported after fiery plane crash near Philadelphia mall

Amanda GerutBy Amanda GerutNews Editor, West Coast
Amanda GerutNews Editor, West Coast

    Amanda Gerut is the west coast editor at Fortune, overseeing publicly traded businesses, executive compensation, Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, and investigations.

    Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
    Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said the commonwealth would help the city respond to the reported crash.
    Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
    • Residents of Northeast Philadelphia are reeling after a small private plane crashed with multiple victims reported.

    Just two days after a tragic collision claimed the lives of 67 people in Washington, D.C., a small private plane crashed in Philadelphia near Roosevelt Mall on Friday. 

    According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, two people were aboard a Learjet 55 that crashed around 6:30 after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The jet was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. 

    The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB as the lead. 

    The NTSB is also investigating a collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas to Reagan Washington National Airport and a U.S. Army Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter. The aircraft crashed in midair over the Potomac River and killed 67 people, with no survivors. Authorities recovered the black box from the helicopter and are studying its contents, along with the black boxes taken from the plane. 

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed the crash and said the commonwealth would help in responding to the crash and subsequent fire. 

    “We are offering all Commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly,” Shapiro wrote in a post on X

    Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.