Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory, dies in a plane crash in Texas
The private jet carrying six people crashed on Loop 20 and caught fire around 10 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
(Voice / Christian Camacho)
Joshua Baer, founder and CEO of the startup accelerator Capital Factory, based in Austin, died Tuesday night in a plane crash on a highway in Laredo. He was 50 years old.
The executive jet, carrying six people, crashed on Loop 20 and caught fire around 10 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Baer, who also served on the Texas Tribune’s board of directors from 2015 to 2017, was the only fatality. The other five passengers were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, and most were released shortly thereafter.
Capital Factory confirmed Baer’s death in a statement released Wednesday morning and reported by the Texas Tribune. The company noted that for more than two decades, he 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.”
The aircraft, a Cessna 680A executive jet operated by NetJets, also struck a car whose occupants were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to José Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department. In addition, five officers were treated for smoke inhalation and released around 2:45 a.m.
The flight departed from San José del Cabo
At approximately 9:55 p.m., one of the pilots informed Laredo Airport that the aircraft was experiencing “mechanical problems” and requested an emergency landing, Baeza explained. Five minutes later, police began receiving 911 calls reporting that a plane had crashed on Loop 20.
The causes of the mechanical failures that may have led to the accident are still unclear.
LATEST
