Drivers rush to rescue survivors from burning plane after crashing on Texas highway

A jet crashed on to a highway and burst into flames, killing one person, after reportedly suffering a mechanical failure.

Video posted online showed the plane on fire on its side after smashing into a barrier, as witnesses left their cars to help the survivors.

They were seen trying to use a sledgehammer and shovel to smash the cockpit window and free those inside. Another person helped by propping open the plane's door.

Police said the business plane, which had six people on board, crashed on the Loop 20 highway in Laredo near the Texas-Mexico border shortly after 10pm (4am UK time).

It was unclear if the person who died was on the plane or ground.

Dashcam footage posted on social media showed the aircraft careering down the highway, taking out a lamp post before coming to a stop near Laredo International Airport.

The tail, which was ripped from the fuselage, lay mostly intact on a lower-level road beneath where the rescue was taking place.

"It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock," said Zayra Garza, who was driving her work colleagues home when she saw the crash.

She said three people who looked to be teenagers rushed out of the plane, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot.

Several times, officers are seen in coughing fits and moving away from the fuselage because of the intense smoke.

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

FlightAware, an aviation tracking website, said the plane was a Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet and had departed from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6.19pm (12.19am UK time).

It is not clear what caused the crash as it reached Laredo, about 140 miles (225km) southwest of San Antonio.

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Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez told KGNS TV the plane suffered a mechanical failure.

NetJets confirmed the crash involved one of its aircraft and that it is working with authorities.

The company is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and allows people to buy part ownership in private jets.

(c) Sky News 2026: Drivers rush to rescue survivors from burning plane after crashing on Texas highway