Burned shells of abandoned cars and metal debris sat scattered along the charred streets. Soot stained homes that had been engulfed in flames. A crater in a sidewalk outside a Macy’s department store smoldered.
Residents in Northeast Philadelphia on Saturday stood in disbelief at the devastation they witnessed in their neighborhood after a small medical plane crashed the previous night near a shopping center. At least seven people — everyone onboard and one person on the ground — were killed, and at least 19 others were injured.
“Six o’clock at night — this place is packed,” said William Vitelli, 55, the owner of a used auto parts store, who lives not far from the crash site. “Now it’s a crime scene. It looks like a movie was shot here. It’s just chaos.”
Investigators are seeking answers on why the medical transport plane plunged out of the sky, less than a minute after it took off with a pediatric patient and her mother. It was the second aviation tragedy to rattle the country this week, after nearly 70 people were killed in a Wednesday midair collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington.
“This is scary to have this plane crash and the one in Washington, D.C., happen in such quick succession,” said Anish Philip, 40, a software engineer, as he stood behind police lines with his two young daughters on Saturday morning. “I would like to believe that the skies are safe, but this is making me question that.”
While the wreckage in Washington was limited to the waters of the Potomac, the crash in Philadelphia happened over a series of residential blocks and businesses. The fiery explosion of the crash sent debris, including pieces of the plane, flying into homes and at least one diner. Officials on Saturday said property damage extended across a four- to six-block area.
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