A private jet owned by Berkshire Hathaway crashed on a Texas highway Tuesday night, claiming one life and sending five others to local hospitals. The Cessna 680A went down south of Laredo shortly before 10pm after the aircraft lost radio contact with air traffic control.
The plane was traveling from San José del Cabo, Mexico to Austin when trouble struck. Controllers at Laredo airport received notification that the jet had experienced communication failure just minutes before impact. Police and firefighters rushed to the scene, where video footage showed flames engulfing the wreckage as emergency responders worked to extract survivors from the aircraft.
NetJets, the private aviation subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, confirmed involvement within hours. Five survivors were transported to regional hospitals in stable condition. The identity of the fatality has not been released pending notification of family members.
"What we have tonight is a tragic event," said Jose Baeza, a Laredo police investigator, addressing reporters at the scene. He described the moment airport control personnel alerted first responders to the aircraft in distress and the subsequent loss of communication.
The National Transportation Safety Board has assumed leadership of the investigation, with the FAA providing support. NetJets said it has activated crisis response and family support teams while dispatching specialists to the crash site. The company declined to speculate on potential causes, stating it would await official findings from investigators.
The Cessna 680A, identified by tail number N523QS, was carrying six people total at the time of the crash. The exact circumstances leading to the loss of radio contact remain under investigation.
Author James Rodriguez: "A routine flight between resorts ends in tragedy, raising immediate questions about what happened in those final moments when the tower lost the signal."
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