Texas Jet Crash: Harrowing First-Hand Account of Passengers Escaping Burning Aircraft

A private business jet flying from Mexico to Austin crashed onto a motorway in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday night, killing one person and triggering a frantic rescue as bystanders and first responders used a sledgehammer and shovel to smash the cockpit window and drag survivors from the burning aircraft.

The Texas jet crash, which happened shortly after 10 p.m. on Loop 20 near the Texas–Mexico border, left the Cessna business jet torn almost in half and resting on its side across the carriageway.

Texas Jet Crash: 'It Looked Like Part Of A Movie'

Dashcam and mobile phone footage from the Texas jet crash show the aircraft skidding down the highway, taking out light posts before coming to a stop across the central divider, flames already licking along the fuselage.

Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving colleagues home, began filming as she approached the wreckage. She told the Associated Press it was like watching a film rather than real life.

'It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,' she said.

Garza stopped her vehicle opposite the crippled jet and kept recording as strangers sprinted towards the wreck. Two of them carried a shovel and a sledgehammer and began raining blows on the cockpit glass, trying to smash a way out as smoke thickened around the cabin. Others tried to prise open the main door.

'What was worrying me was the fire,' Garza said. 'I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.'

In her video, several people can be seen escaping through the door, including three who appeared to be teenagers, followed by someone who looked like a pilot. Garza said another crew member tried to pull out a person who seemed to be unconscious.

Bystanders And Officers Choke On Smoke As Rescue Continues

The Texas jet crash quickly became a race against smoke and heat.

In footage verified by NBC News, officers and civilians cluster at the door, using poles to hold it open as others aim jets of water at the burning fuselage. The tail of the jet lies ripped away on a lower-level road beneath the main carriageway, while the nose is jammed hard into the central barrier.

Several times, those propping the door open are forced to back away, doubling over, coughing from the smoke. At one point, a firefighter climbs a small ladder into the interior of the aircraft to reach the final person trapped inside while colleagues shout for a rope.

Laredo Police Department investigator Jose Baeza later told reporters that 'regrettably and tragically' one of the six people on board died. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released, as next of kin had not been formally notified.

Five survivors were taken to hospital and were described by local officials as being in a stable condition. Five first responders were also treated for smoke inhalation.

What Officials Know So Far

The Texas jet crash unfolded just a short distance from Laredo International Airport, roughly 140 miles, or 225 kilometres, south-west of San Antonio.

Airport director Gilberto Sanchez told local station KGNS that the aircraft had reported mechanical problems as it approached Laredo, although he did not provide further technical detail.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna 680A went down at around 10 p.m. The jet, which data firm FlightAware had tracked departing Los Cabos at 6.19 p.m., was operating for NetJets, a private-aviation company owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway that sells fractional ownership in business jets.

In a brief statement, NetJets confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in the incident and said it was working with authorities. No further information about the passengers or crew has been released.

Loop 20, the stretch of highway where the Texas jet crash occurred, remains closed in both directions as investigators and clean-up crews work at the scene.

Baeza urged drivers to make alternative plans for their morning commute, warning that the closure was likely to last through Wednesday while debris is removed and roadside infrastructure inspected.

Mayor Praises 'Professionalism, Courage And Dedication'

Laredo's mayor, Dr Victor Treviño, issued a written statement on Wednesday morning addressing the Texas jet crash and the city's response.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones affected by the recent private jet crash,' he said.

Treviño said he had been present at the scene and 'witnessed firsthand the professionalism, courage, and dedication of our first responders', thanking police, fire and EMS personnel for their 'swift actions in suppressing the fire, securing the area, and protecting the public.'

He also urged residents and media to allow investigators to do their work without pressure or guesswork.

'Aviation investigations take time, and it is important that we avoid speculation while the facts are being gathered,' he said. 'Until more information is confirmed, our focus should remain on supporting those impacted, honouring those affected, and respecting the integrity of the ongoing investigation.'

FBI And NTSB Lead A Wider Aviation Safety Probe

The Texas jet crash is now the subject of a joint inquiry by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, with the NTSB in the lead. Baeza said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was already on site Tuesday night, with other federal agencies due to arrive through Wednesday.

Investigators are appealing for anyone with dashcam or mobile footage of the crash itself, or of the aircraft in the moments before impact, to come forward. A separate video, also verified by NBC News, shows the jet careering along the highway surface and knocking down several streetlights before coming to rest.

It was, grimly, the third serious aviation incident in the United States in as many days. On Sunday, 12 people were killed when a skydiving aircraft crashed in Missouri. On Monday, a B-52 bomber went down during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight people on board.

The cluster of accidents has raised renewed questions about air safety, maintenance and training, though regulators are being careful not to link the cases before the evidence is in.

Authorities said there were six people aboard the jet when it went down near Laredo International Airport. Police identified the aircraft as a Cessna 680A Citation Latitude that had departed San José del Cabo in Mexico and was bound for Austin, Texas.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash location as south of Laredo, and local officials said one southbound vehicle was struck by the plane as it came down, although no deaths on the ground were reported.