3 min readDelhiJun 17, 2026 02:28 PM IST
One person was killed after a business jet carrying six people crashed onto a highway in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday night, as motorists and first responders rushed to pull survivors from the burning wreckage. Authorities have not yet said whether the victim was on board the aircraft or on the ground, news agency Associated Press reported.
Many came upon the burning plane, which was nearly sheared in half and tipped on its side, and captured dramatic rescue scenes on video or rushed toward the aircraft on foot to help, it added.
Business jet crashes near Texas airport
The plane departed from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6:19 pm. It’s not clear what caused the crash as it reached Laredo, about 225 kilometres southwest of San Antonio.
The plane crashed on the Loop 20 highway near the Texas-Mexico border shortly after 10 pm, said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department. Dashcam footage posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway, taking out a light post before coming to a stop. It came to a rest not far from the Laredo International Airport.
Motorists race to free survivors
“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” AP quoted Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her coworkers home when she came upon the crash, as saying.
She saw a person from inside the cockpit trying to break the window, while others from the outside were also trying to open it as the fuselage burned. Her husband also jumped out to help. Finally, when the door opened, she saw three teenagers emerge outside, followed by someone whom she believed was a pilot. A crew then tried to pull out an unconscious passenger.
No injuries on the ground were immediately reported, though five officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The plane was a Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet, according to information from FligthAware, an aviation tracking and data company.
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Bystanders witnessing the crash hurried toward the burning wreckage. Two people carrying a sledgehammer and a shovel used them to break the cockpit glass and try to open the door.
Firefighters work at the site of a plane crash, in Laredo, Texas, U.S., June 16, 2026. (source:Laredo Police Department/Handout via REUTERS )
Firefighters and police join rescue effort
A firefighter used a small ladder and climbed into the aircraft and retrieved the left passenger while the others directed a hose on the burning wreckage. Officers who helped to hold the door open often staggered away from the smoke.
Cause under investigation
The cause remains under investigation, but Gilberto Sanchez, Laredo International Airport Director, told local station KGNS that the aircraft had a mechanical failure.
NetJets, the owner company, confirmed its involvement. It also stated that it is cooperating with authorities. The company is a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, and sells fractional ownership stakes in private jets.
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(The article has been written by Seekriti Saha, who is an intern at The Indian Express)
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