With a sledgehammer and a shovel, volunteers raced to save passengers in Texas plane crash

Late Tuesday night in Laredo, Texas, a NetJets Cessna Latitude twin jet crashed on a highway loop after its pilots reported mechanical problems while seeking an emergency landing. The aircraft had departed from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was en route to Austin, Texas, when the fuselage struck a concrete barrier and erupted in flames. Bystanders, including tow-truck driver Ivan Franco, ran to aid passengers, with Franco using a sledgehammer and three fire extinguishers to help until emergency crews arrived. Police and firefighters arrived quickly, and officials said their cooperation likely saved lives; the incident is being investigated by the FAA, marking the third significant aviation accident in as many days in the United States. One person was killed in the crash: Joshua Baer, a prominent Texas technology entrepreneur who led Capital Factory. Three teenage passengers and two pilots survived on board, and an additional person in a truck struck by the plane also survived, authorities said. The six people on board were a mixture of business travellers and crew, and the fuselage came to rest across a concrete barrier with the tail broken off. Investigators are combing through the wreckage for clues to the cause, with officials noting that the incident remains under active inquiry as the FAA studies maintenance records and flight data.