Small plane crash near Loop 20 kills one in Laredo
A small plane crashed on Loop 20 near Saunders Street and Clark Boulevard, shutting down traffic in both directions after at least one person died.
A fiery small-plane crash shut down both directions of Loop 20 on Laredo’s east side after the aircraft came down near Saunders Street and Clark Boulevard, close to the Texas Department of Public Safety office and the former City Hall annex area. Police said six people were on board, and at least one person died as crews and bystanders rushed to reach those trapped inside the burning aircraft.
The crash was reported Tuesday night, June 16, 2026, shortly after 10 p.m., on one of the city’s major corridors. Laredo police investigator Jose Baeza said the airport tower alerted police that the aircraft was having mechanical problems before contact with the plane was lost. The aircraft then went down on Loop 20, prompting an immediate shutdown of northbound and southbound traffic in the area.
The scene quickly turned into a rescue effort as people who had stopped their vehicles joined first responders in trying to get to the plane. One report said two civilians used a sledgehammer and a shovel to break the cockpit glass and open the door. Video from the scene reportedly showed the aircraft on its side after striking a light post and a highway barrier, underscoring how violently it hit the roadway.
Officials said there were no immediate reports of injuries to people in vehicles on the highway, even as the fire and closure snared traffic near the Texas-Mexico border. The crash landed in a heavily traveled part of Laredo, a city where Loop 20 serves as a key route for commuters, airport access and cross-city travel. With both directions blocked, drivers were forced away from the corridor as authorities secured the scene and kept the public clear of the wreckage.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to investigate the crash. Their review will focus on the mechanical trouble reported before the loss of contact, the fire that followed impact and how the aircraft ended up on a roadway used daily by thousands of drivers in Webb County.
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