Plane Crash Rocks Philadelphia's Suburban Streets

A small plane crashed near a Philadelphia shopping mall, resulting in casualties and igniting fires in nearby homes and vehicles. The Learjet 55 was en route to Missouri when it crashed under cold, rainy conditions. Federal and local officials are investigating the major incident.

A small plane crashed near a shopping mall in Philadelphia, causing several casualties on the ground, according to federal officials and local media on Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. near Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia.

The crash set at least one house and several cars ablaze, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The accident comes amid adverse weather conditions of cold rain and limited visibility. This follows an earlier collision involving an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., claiming 67 lives, marking it as the deadliest U.S. airplane crash since 2009.

The FAA confirmed that a Learjet 55, departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport bound for Springfield-Branson National Airport, crashed with two people reportedly onboard. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that the number could be six. Images broadcast by local media showed a large fire and fire trucks at the scene. The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management called it a "major incident" and Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro offered state resources to first responders.

(With inputs from agencies.)