Bystanders rush to rescue passengers after small plane crashes on Texas highway
(CNN) — A small jet carrying six people crashed on a highway in South Texas Tuesday evening, with bystanders jumping in to assist emergency services in rescuing passengers from the fiery wreckage.
One person was killed after the plane crashed on Laredo’s Loop 20 highway, shutting down traffic in both directions and strewing debris across multiple lanes. The others on board were transported to a hospital for treatment, Laredo Police Public Information Officer Jose Baeza told CNN.
Video shared by a witness from the scene showed emergency responders attempting to crack open the plane’s windshield as authorities and bystanders assisted several people out of the burning aircraft. Some were seen walking away after escaping the aircraft.
The plane, a NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude business jet, had departed San José del Cabo, Mexico, at around 6:18 p.m. local time and was bound for Austin, Texas, before diverting toward Laredo, along the US-Mexico border, according to flight data from FlightRadar24.
Authorities responded to the scene shortly before 10 p.m. local time after receiving a call from the local airport tower after the plane reported mechanical issues, Baeza told reporters. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers before it crashed the highway, hitting a moving vehicle on its descent, he said.
FlightRadar24 data shows a steady, controlled descent into Laredo International Airport, until the signal cut out at around 600 feet, roughly two and a half miles short of the runway, at about 9:58 p.m. local time.
Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez also told CNN affiliate KGNS the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing.
CNN has reached out to Laredo International Airport and NetJets.
Police did not reveal the identities of the six on board, how many were injured or their conditions.
“Regrettably and tragically there is one deceased involved in this crash,” Baeza told reporters, without giving further details as the victim’s family is being notified.
It’s unknown if anyone in the vehicle struck by the plane was injured. Five officers responding to the crash site were also transported to a local hospital for treatment related to injuries sustained during the rescue operation, Laredo Police Public Information Officer Jose Espinoza told CNN.
Federal agencies, including the National Transportation Security Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, have been notified and officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already on-site, Baeza said.
CNN has reached out to the NTSB, FAA and FBI for more information.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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