A private jet carrying six people crashed on a highway in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday night, resulting in one fatality, local police reported.
Videos shared online by the Laredo Police Department showed the wreckage of the aircraft and firefighters working at the scene. Additional footage captured the immediate aftermath, with flames rising from the plane as police and bystanders worked to pull people from the wreckage.
The aircraft had departed from San José del Cabo, Mexico, and was en route to Austin, Texas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). NetJets, a private plane company owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that one of its aircraft was involved in the accident.
Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department, described the incident as a tragic event during a briefing on Tuesday night. Baeza said officers received a radio call from the local airport control tower just before 10 p.m. local time, indicating that an aircraft was in trouble and had lost communication.
Regrettably, one person onboard the aircraft died, Baeza said. The five other passengers were transported to local hospitals and were reported to be in stable condition. Authorities are withholding the identity of the deceased pending notification of next of kin.
Laredo International Airport (LRD) officials stated that at approximately 9:58 p.m. CDT on June 16, 2026, LRD Air Traffic Control received notification from the flight crew of a Cessna 680 Citation Latitude business jet reporting mechanical difficulties and declaring an emergency while en route from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin, Texas. The aircraft was attempting to divert to LRD when it went down on Loop 20, several miles short of the airfield, and came to rest after striking a passenger vehicle on the highway.
The airport officials confirmed that six individuals were aboard the aircraft and that one person was fatally injured. The remaining five occupants, along with the driver of the affected vehicle, were transported to local hospitals and are reported to be in stable condition. They commended the swift response of the Laredo Police Department, Laredo Fire Department, area first responders, and bystanders who acted without hesitation to assist those aboard the aircraft. Five police officers sustained injuries related to smoke inhalation during rescue operations and were treated accordingly.
The FAA confirmed that the aircraft was a Cessna 680A business jet and crashed south of Laredo around 10 p.m. local time with six people on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate, with the NTSB in charge of the investigation.
NetJets confirmed that an aircraft with tail number N523QS was involved in the accident. The company expressed immediate concern for the well-being of its crewmembers, passengers, and their families, and activated its crisis response and family support teams. NetJets deployed a team of experts to the site and stated that the NTSB has been notified and is investigating. Until investigators release information or findings, NetJets cannot comment further and will not speculate on the cause of the accident.
Laredo International Airport extended its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who lost their life and expressed thoughts for the five surviving passengers and crew, as well as the occupant of the ground vehicle involved, all of whom are receiving medical care.
