The Laredo private jet crash on Loop 20 killed one person after a Cessna Citation Latitude carrying six people came down near Laredo International Airport and erupted in flames shortly after 10 p.m. local time.
Officials had not determined whether the person who died was aboard the aircraft or on the ground. No injuries on the ground were immediately reported.
Laredo private jet crash prompts roadside rescue
Drivers found the aircraft heavily damaged, nearly torn in half and resting on its side against a highway barrier. Several motorists left their vehicles and approached the burning wreckage as smoke spread across the fuselage.
Video showed people using a sledgehammer and shovel to strike a cockpit window while others tried to force open the aircraft’s door. Dashcam footage showed the jet moving along the highway, hitting a light pole and coming to a stop.
Witness Zayra Garza, who was driving co-workers home, recorded the rescue effort while her husband joined people trying to reach those inside.
Garza said three people who appeared to be teenagers escaped, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot. Another crew member attempted to remove an apparently unconscious person.
Five officers treated for smoke inhalation
Firefighters later used a small ladder to enter the aircraft while crews sprayed water on the wreckage. Five officers who helped hold the aircraft’s door open were taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation.
The aircraft had departed Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6:19 p.m., according to aviation tracking information.
Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez said the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure but did not provide additional details.
NetJets confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved and said it was cooperating with authorities. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company provides fractional private-jet ownership services.
The cause remained under investigation. The investigation will focus attention on the aircraft’s mechanical condition, the emergency response and how a business jet carrying six people came down on a major roadway near the airport.
