One killed in fiery plane crash on Texas highway as footage shows first responders' desperate rescue attempt

By MELISSA KOENIG, US REPORTER and ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 06:50, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 06:59, 17 June 2026 One person was killed in a fiery plane crash along a major highway in Texas, as shocking video showed first responders desperately trying to rescue others onboard. There were six people onboard the small business plane when it crashed and landed on Texas State Highway Loop 20 at around 10pm on Tuesday, said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department. One person onboard was killed in the collision.  Witnesses had earlier reported seeing the plane falling from the sky over Highway 59 already on fire, KIITV reports.  Footage shared online then showed the small aircraft laying upside down with flames bursting out its underbelly, sending smoke billowing through the air, as rescuers tried to break open the windshield. Others were seen opening the door, at which point at least two men were seen stepping out of the wreckage. The video was taken by Zayra Garza, an esthetician, who was driving her coworkers home when she came upon the plane crash. She said she began shooting video as she approached the scene and then stopped her vehicle across from the crippled jet, which was on fire. She saw someone inside the plane trying to break the cockpit window to escape. Soon, people got out of their vehicles to try to smash the window from the outside. Footage shared online then showed the small aircraft laying upside down with flames bursting out its underbelly, sending smoke billowing through the air, as rescuers tried to break open the windshield A passenger was seen jumping out of the wreckage on Tuesday night Garza's husband then jumped out of their vehicle to help, when Garza saw the door of the plane open.  She said three people who looked to be teenagers rushed out, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot. Another member of the crew tried to pull from the plane a person who seemed to be unconscious . 'It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,' Garza said. 'What was worrying me was the fire,' she said. 'I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.' Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of any injuries to those in vehicles on the highway. It remains unclear what may have caused the crash.  As the investigation now continues, the northbound and southbound lanes of Loop 20 remain closed.  This is a breaking news story and will be updated.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.