Bystanders rescue five from burning NetJets jet after Texas highway crash

The crash

A Cessna Citation business jet operated by NetJets was flying from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night with six people aboard. Shortly before 10 p.m. local time, the crew reported major mechanical problems and low fuel to the Laredo International Airport tower, according to airport director Gilberto Sanchez. The aircraft then lost contact and came down on Texas State Highway Loop 20, striking a light pole and several cars before coming to rest and bursting into flames.

Dashcam footage shared widely online shows the jet skidding along the highway in the dark, while later clips capture the frantic rescue attempt.

Bystanders rush in

Zayra Garza, a spa owner driving home with her husband Damian and two co-workers, stopped her SUV just feet from the wreckage.

“I still can't believe what we saw, to be honest. It didn't look real.”

Damian Garza, a truck driver, ran to the burning plane and held open the heavy cabin door as other motorists used a mallet and a shovel to smash the cockpit windshield. The door eventually opened, and three teenage passengers emerged, followed by the two pilots.

“He told me that the door was really heavy. It was something that happened instantly. Time went by both fast and slow at the same time. He was only thinking of the people trapped inside the plane.”

Laredo police officers also arrived and helped pull people from the wreckage.

One fatality, five survivors

Authorities confirmed one person aboard the jet died in the crash. The five survivors, three teenagers and two pilots, according to Ms. Garza, were transported to area hospitals and reported to be in stable condition. One motorist whose vehicle was struck by the plane was also hospitalised but was stable. Five officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

“What we have tonight is a tragic event.”

Investigation begins

NetJets, a private aviation company owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, identified the aircraft as tail number N523QS, a Cessna Citation Latitude built in 2016. The company said it was deploying crisis response teams and cooperating with investigators.

“Our immediate concern is for the well-being of our Crewmembers, our passengers, and their families during this time.”

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate; the NTSB will lead the probe. Authorities have not commented on a possible cause beyond the pilot's report of mechanical failure and low fuel.