A little girl with her mother and others when it fell to the ground in Philadelphia had just completed a life saving treatment in hospital.

The family and four crew members were travelling in a medical transport jet which fell on Friday at 6pm local time. It exploded into a huge fireball which engulfed several homes. No one survived from the plane and at least six people were injured on the ground.

Tragically, a girl onboard the flight was being transported home to Tijuana, Mexico, after a stop in Missouri after her recovery from a mystery illness. Jet Rescue spokesperson Shai 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.”

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The recovery mission continues, and people have been warned to stay away from the Northeastern Philadelphia neighborhood in the meantime. Debris covers city streets and homes are destroyed, witnesses say.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference late Friday that officials expect fatalities in this “awful aviation disaster.” He added: "We know that there will be loss."

Videos and photos taken from the scene show , with dozens of fire engines moving towards the area. Other photos show an explosion as the plane went down in what is primarily a residential neighbourhood.

Reports from those on the ground say that there is a "large debris field," with multiple cars on fire, and the "smell of fuel in the air," according to an eye witness calling into LIVENOW. The aircraft has been identified as a Learjet 55, a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance. The crash site is near Northeast Philadelphia Airport, where it is thought the aircraft had taken off.

Flight data showed a small jet taking off from the airport at 6:06 p.m. and disappearing from radar about 30 seconds later after climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet (487 metres).

The plane crashed in a busy intersection near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping centre where first responders are blocking traffic and onlookers are crowded onto a street corner in the residential neighborhood of Rhawnhurst. Philadelphia’s emergency management office said that roads are closed in the area.

The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. The NTSB, which investigates air crashes, said it was gathering information about the crash.

The tragedy happened just .