Laredo Police: 3 teens, 2 middle-aged adults survive fatal Loop 20 plane crash

Three teens and two middle-aged adults were among the five survivors of Tuesday night’s plane crash in Laredo on Loop 20 as authorities continue working to determine what caused the aircraft to go down. The privately owned Cessna 680 Alpha was carrying six people when it crashed shortly before 10 p.m. June 16 near the Clark Boulevard exit, according to the Laredo Police Department. READ MORE: VIDEO: Rescue from plane crash on Bob Bullock Loop shown in eyewitness footage One middle-aged occupant died, Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez said during a Wednesday news conference at LPD headquarters. The five survivors are no longer in critical condition. According to Rodriguez, the aircraft was traveling from Mexico to Central Texas when the crew reported mechanical issues shortly before the crash. { "__type": "devHubFreeformEmbed", "__id": "Datawrapper", "__fallbackImage": "https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qagQ7/mobile.png", "__data": { "datawrapper_id": "qagQ7" } } Authorities identified the person who died but did not release the name at Wednesday's press conference. However, Austin-based tech company Capital Foundry also announced Wednesday that its founder, Joshua Baer, died in the crash. The occupants aboard the aircraft included family members and friends. The aircraft also struck a vehicle traveling on Loop 20. Rodriguez said the vehicle’s occupants were treated and released. { "__type": "devHubFreeformEmbed", "__id": "Datawrapper", "__fallbackImage": "https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vQlux/mobile.png", "__data": { "datawrapper_id": "vQlux" } } Five LPD officers who suffered smoke inhalation while responding to the crash were also released from the hospital by 2:45 a.m. Wednesday. Federal authorities are leading the investigation, as is the case with aviation crashes. Rodriguez said Federal Aviation Administration personnel were on scene Wednesday, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Emergency responders were assisted by community members in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Some occupants had already been helped out of the aircraft before firefighters arrived, Laredo Fire Chief Guillermo Heard said. First responders later took over rescue efforts because aircraft crashes present hazards that require specialized training and equipment. Rodriguez added that the Good Samaritans who helped will be tracked down to be publicly commended. Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino, Rodriguez and Heard thanked first responders and community members who assisted at the scene and offered their thoughts to the families affected by the crash. Authorities continued processing the crash scene Wednesday and warned motorists to avoid Loop 20 as debris removal and reconstruction efforts remained underway.