Daylight images has revealed the devastating extent of the crash, showing the aircraft’s fuselage split into two sections upon impact. The images clearly illustrate the force of the accident, with the forward section of the aircraft engulfed in flames while the rear portion remained separated nearby.
A Cessna 680A Citation Latitude, N523QS, was destroyed when it crashed during an emergency landing on a highway near Laredo Airport (LRD), Texas. One of the six occupants, a passenger, were killed.
The flight departed from San José del Cabo (SJD) at 01:18 UTC (18:18 local time) on a flight to Austin (AUS), Texas.
It climbed to the cruising altitude FL430. At 02:27 UTC the flight commenced a descent towards LRD. It made a 270 degree descending turn and lined up for an approach to runway 36L.
On final approach the aircraft veered right and lined up for a emergency landing on Texas State Highway Loop 20. The aircraft came down on the concrete barrier at the side of an elevated section of road and broke in two. A fire broke out in the forward fuselage section.
According to the Laredo Airport Director, the crew reported low fuel and a power outage.
Dashcam footage of a car travelling on the lane opposite of the aircraft performing its emergency landing showed the plane knocking down 3 lamp posts, 2 of them got wrapped around the forward half of the fuselage.
Austin-based startup accelerator Capital Factory confirmed to ABC Austin affiliate KVUE that its CEO, Joshua Baer, was killed. There were also three teenagers and two pilots on board, police said. Some of the passengers were related and some were friends.
