A private jet crashed on a highway in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday night, killing one of the six people on board, officials said.
The Cessna Citation was flying from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin, Texas, when it reported major mechanical issues and low fuel to Laredo International Airport just before 10 p.m. local time, said Gilberto Sanchez, the airport’s director.
The plane then lost contact with the tower and crash-landed on Texas State Highway Loop 20, Mr. Sanchez said in an email.
Video from the scene showed the wreckage of the plane, with the nose section lying sideways on the highway. Flames and thick smoke were emerging from a section of the plane as police officers and others opened the door after a struggle. One person was trying to smash open the cockpit windshield.
Four people were helped out of the burning wreckage and appeared to be walking on their own, the footage showed.
One of the people on board died and the five survivors were taken to local hospitals, said Jose Baeza, an investigator at the Laredo Police Department. Mr. Sanchez, the airport director, said the survivors were reported to be in stable condition.
The crash had forced the closure of the highway, a regional transportation artery, and it was expected to remain shut to traffic on Wednesday, Mr. Baeza said.
A team from the National Transportation Safety Board was expected at the crash site soon, the police said. The N.T.S.B. said it was aware of the crash and was gathering information.
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story.
