Small Plane Crashes In Philadelphia, Injuring 2, Including Off-Duty Officer: Reports

PHILADELPHIA — A small plane piloted by an off-duty police officer made an emergency landing and crashed in a field Wednesday afternoon in Northeast Philadelphia, according to reports and local officials.

The aircraft came down around 3:45 p.m. in a field near Grant and Torresdale avenues, by Fluehr Park.

Two people were injured and in serious condition, officials said, although Action News reported both were alert and that one of the people on board was an off-duty Philadelphia police officer. The officer was piloting the plane, according to Action News, citing sources.

A hazmat task force was at the scene due to a small fuel spill, the outlet reported.

Fox29 shared a photo of a small plane smashed against a tree.

"Please be aware of first-responders in the area and avoid the area," said the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which will investigate the crash, identified the plane as a Piper PA-28.

The aircraft was used for training by Philadelphia flight school Fly Legacy Aviation, according to NBC10.

Its general manager, Alex Souponetsky, in a statement published by NBC10, said the plane "experienced an engine power loss over the Delaware River" and that the incident "is under intense investigation."

Issues were reported with the plane's Lycoming io-360 engine, as mentioned by the FAA in a December 2025 airworthiness concern sheet, according to NBC10. Planes were experiencing sudden, unexpected loss of power, the outlet reported, adding the FAA issued a directive requiring an inspection regarding another engine concern related to rods that was published last month but not scheduled to go into effect until next week.

FlightAware mapped the aircraft's 40-minute flight, which was mostly north of Philadelphia.

Wednesday's crash comes a year after a plane took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and crashed, killing six people.