LAREDO, Texas (TNND) — One person is dead after a private plane carrying six people crashed onto a highway in Texas on Tuesday night and caught fire, according to police.
Capital Factory confirmed on Wednesday that co-founder and CEO Joshua Baer was the passenger who died. The company said that for more than two decades, Baer was a “visionary force, mentor, and champion for the Texas technology and startup ecosystem.
“Josh was a fearless leader, a brilliant partner, and a dear friend to so many of us,” Capital Factory President Bryan Chambers said in a statement. “While we are devastated by this unimaginable loss, Josh built an incredibly resilient organization and a deeply capable team. Capital Factory remains fully operational, and we are completely committed to continuing his mission of backing unstoppable founders.”
The Laredo Police Department said it received a call at about 10 p.m. reporting a plane crash on Loop 20 near the Texas-Mexico border.
FlightAware data showed the aircraft was a Cessna Citation Latitude twin-engine jet that departed Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6:19 p.m. and was headed to Austin, Texas.
NetJets said in a statement that the aircraft involved in the crash was part of its fleet and that it is cooperating with authorities investigating the incident. NetJets, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, allows customers to purchase fractional ownership stakes in private jets.
Video from the scene showed bystanders rushing to help those trapped inside the aircraft, smashing the cockpit glass and attempting to force open a door.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
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The crash comes amid a string of recent aviation accidents. On Monday, a B-52 bomber crashed during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing eight people. On Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane carrying skydivers crashed in Missouri.