Bystanders rush to rescue passengers after small plane crashes on Texas highway

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By Diego Mendoza, Martin Goillandeau, CNN

(CNN) — A small jet carrying six people crashed on a highway in South Texas Tuesday evening, killing one aboard and prompting bystanders to help emergency workers rescue passengers from the fiery wreckage, according to authorities and video from the scene.

The plane crashed on Laredo’s Loop 20 highway, shutting down traffic in both directions and strewing debris across multiple lanes. The five survivors were transported to a hospital for treatment, Laredo police spokesperson Jose Baeza told CNN.

The plane also hit a moving vehicle as it descended, Baeza said. Details on whether anyone in the vehicle was injured weren’t immediately available.

Video shared by a witness from the scene showed emergency responders trying to crack open the plane’s windshield as authorities and bystanders helped several people out of the burning aircraft. Some were seen walking away after escaping.

The plane, a NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude business jet, departed San José del Cabo, Mexico, around 6:18 p.m. local time and was bound for Austin, Texas, before it was diverted toward Laredo, according to flight data from FlightRadar24.

Authorities responded shortly before 10 p.m. local time after the plane reported mechanical issues to the local airport tower, Baeza told reporters. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers before it crashed on the highway, hitting a moving vehicle on its descent, he said.

FlightRadar24 data shows a steady, controlled descent toward Laredo International Airport, until the signal cut out around 600 feet, roughly 2.5 miles short of the runway.

The aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing, Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez told CNN affiliate KGNS.

CNN has reached out to Laredo International Airport and NetJets.

Police did not identify the six people on board or provide details on injuries.

Five officers were also transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the rescue, Laredo police spokesperson 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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