(Private Jet Crashed. Photo by Leadership News)
At least one person has been confirmed d£ad and five others injured after a business jet went down on a busy highway in Texas, United States, late Tuesday night, authorities said.
The aircraft, a NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude business jet carrying six people, cr@shed on Loop 20 highway in Laredo at about 10 p.m. local time after diverting from its original route between Los Cabos, Mexico, and Austin, Texas, reportedly following an in-flight emergency.
Dramatic footage from the scene showed the aircraft engulfed in flames after impact, with debris scattered across several lanes of the highway.
Authorities confirmed that one person d!ed in the cr@sh, while five others sustained injuries, though it remains unclear whether the deceased was among those aboard the jet or on the ground.
Witnesses and motorists rushed to the scene to assist survivors trapped inside the wreckage, with video footage showing bystanders attempting to break the cockpit window and force open the aircraft door to help passengers escape.
Two men were seen using a sledgehammer and a shovel to smash the cockpit glass and create an exit route for those inside.
Another video reportedly captured the aircraft skidding along the highway before striking a roadside post and coming to a stop near Laredo International Airport.
An eyewitness, Zayra Garza, described the scene as surreal, recalling that it felt like something out of a movie and that she remained worried the burning aircraft could explode at any moment.
She said her husband rushed out of their vehicle to help those on board, recounting that three individuals believed to be teenagers emerged from the aircraft, followed by someone who appeared to be one of the pilots, while another crew member attempted to pull an unconscious passenger from the wreckage.
Emergency responders later arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire and rescue the remaining occupants, with a firefighter seen climbing into the damaged aircraft using a ladder while others worked to douse the flames.
Rescue teams could reportedly be heard calling for ropes and additional equipment as they worked to access the cabin.
Officials said no injuries were recorded among people on the ground, though five police officers were hospitalised for smoke inhalation sustained during the rescue operation.
Flight tracking data identified the aircraft as a Cessna Citation Latitude twin-engine business jet, which had departed Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6:19 p.m. local time and was originally bound for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport before diverting toward Laredo.
The cause of the cr@sh has not yet been determined, although the Laredo International Airport Director told a local television station that the aircraft may have experienced a mechanical failure before going down. NetJets confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in the incident and said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
This incident adds to a string of recent aviation mishaps reported across the United States. On Sunday, 12 people were k!lled when a plane carrying skydivers cr@shed in Missouri, while a day later, eight crew members reportedly d!ed after a B-52 Stratofortress bomber went down shortly after take-off from Edwards Air Force Base in California during what officials described as a routine test mission.
Investigations into the Texas cr@sh remain ongoing.