A NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude crashed onto a busy highway in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday night, leaving one person dead and several others injured in a dramatic accident that quickly turned into a large-scale roadside rescue effort led by passing motorists.
The aircraft, a Cessna 680 Citation Latitude registered N523QS, was operating a flight from San José del Cabo, Mexico, to Austin, Texas, when the crew reportedly experienced an in-flight issue and diverted toward Laredo International Airport. Moments later, the jet came down on Loop 20 near Saunders Street, where it skidded across multiple lanes of traffic before striking a pickup truck and coming to rest on its side.
Shortly after impact, the aircraft was engulfed in flames, sending thick smoke across the highway and forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles. Eyewitness video from the scene shows civilians rushing toward the burning wreckage, with several using tools to break cockpit and cabin windows in an attempt to reach those inside before emergency services arrived.
Authorities confirmed that one person was killed, although it has not yet been clarified whether the fatality was among those on board or on the ground. Five occupants of the aircraft survived and were transported to hospital along with the driver of the pickup truck. Several police officers assisting in the initial rescue efforts also suffered smoke inhalation.
The aircraft is operated by NetJets, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned business aviation company, which confirmed the involvement of one of its aircraft and said it is fully cooperating with investigators.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have both launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash. The cause of the reported in-flight emergency has not yet been determined.
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 Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) June 17, 2026
A NetJets Cessna 680 Citation Latitude crashes on a highway while making an emergency landing to Laredo International Airport, Texas.
The crash was reported around 10 p.m. It was not immediately clear how many people were on board or their condition. Nobody on the highway was… pic.twitter.com/xNfM9b4iYO
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) June 17, 2026