An executive plane Cessna 680 Citation Latitude that had taken off from Los Cabos, Mexicobound for Austin, Texas, crashed Tuesday night near the Laredo International Airportleaving one person dead and five injured, US authorities reported.
The aircraft, identified by the registration N523QS and operated by the company NetJetshad left around 6:19 p.m. from Los Cabos International Airport. However, during the journey, the crew reported an emergency and decided to divert to Laredo to try to land.
According to José Baeza, spokesperson and investigator for the Laredo Police Department, the control tower received a report about problems with the aircraft before losing contact with it.
“A private plane was having mechanical problems or was experiencing failures, and contact was lost with the aircraft. After a few moments it was reported that it had landed here on Loop 20 and collided with the road. I have confirmed that upon landing it did hit a car,” the official explained.
BREAKING: A NetJets Cessna 680 Citation Latitude (N523QS) crashed on a highway while attempting an emergency landing near Laredo International Airport, Texas.
The aircraft had diverted to Laredo after declaring an emergency while en route from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin,… pic.twitter.com/BGDqZqdz9w
— Turbine Traveler (@Turbinetraveler) June 17, 2026
Plane hit a vehicle during the accident
The authorities reported that the aircraft fell on the highway Loop 20one of the main traffic routes in Laredo, located about four kilometers from the airport.
During the descent or emergency landing attempt, the private jet hit a vehicle that was traveling on the road. The driver survived and was reported in stable condition.
There were six people on the plane. Preliminarily, authorities confirmed the death of one of the occupants and reported that the other five were injured. Until now, the identity of the deceased nor the health status of the survivors have been released.
#IMPORTANT The accident occurred around 10:00 pm local time on Loop 20, near Saunders Street and Clark Boulevard, in Laredo.
The aircraft hit the road and subsequently caught fire, forcing the closure of the road in both directions while the… pic.twitter.com/yEHkTp7Y1D
— EnElAire (@Enel_Aire) June 17, 2026
Videos spread on social networks show the moments after the accident, with part of the aircraft enveloped in smoke and flames while emergency teams worked at the scene.
NetJets activates emergency protocol
Through a statement, the president and CEO of NetJets, Adam Johnson, confirmed the accident and assured that the company activated its assistance protocols.
“Our crisis response and family assistance teams were mobilized to provide support to those affected,” he said.
The company also assured that it will fully collaborate with the authorities in charge of investigating the incident.
Los Cabos Airport rules out anomalies before takeoff
The director of the Los Cabos International Airport, Francisco Villaseñor, reported that the aircraft took off without incident and that the pre-flight inspections were carried out in accordance with established protocols.
✈️ 🔥 #Video | Aircraft crashes on the road with several injured on board, generating an intense mobilization of emergency corporations, in Laredo, Taxas.
Authorities broke burning windows to rescue the injured and take them to a hospital. pic.twitter.com/4cdnIDY8G3
— Monitor Online (@MonitorOnlineQ) June 17, 2026
According to the official, during the inspections carried out before departure, no anomaly was detected that would prevent the operation of the aircraft.
The causes of the accident remain under investigation. Local authorities indicated that the aircraft had reported mechanical problems before losing communication with the control tower.
The main investigation was carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)with support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other federal agencies.
First footage shows emergency responders breaking through the cockpit window following a plane crash near Loop 20 in Laredo, Texas pic.twitter.com/UsDWIEoeja
— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) June 17, 2026
The area where the accident occurred remains protected to facilitate expert work and determine what caused the plane to end up crashing a few kilometers from the airport.
While investigations continue, authorities are keeping several sections of Loop 20 closed due to the presence of spilled fuel and analysis work at the scene.
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