Five people have died after a small aircraft went down among the trees in Texas Hill Country, authorities confirmed. The plane was carrying members of the Amarillo Pickleball Club to a tournament.
The crash occurred at approximately 11 p.m. on Thursday in Wimberley, a town about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Austin, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
"The pilot and four passengers on board were pronounced deceased on scene," Sergeant Billy Ray told reporters. The names of the victims were not immediately released, but the Amarillo Pickleball Club confirmed they were members traveling to a tournament.
Aircraft Details and Flight Path
The aircraft, a Cessna 421C, had departed from Amarillo and was bound for New Braunfels National Airport, according to flight records. Aerial photographs published by the Austin American-Statesman showed the plane completely obliterated in a wooded area.
Ray confirmed that federal authorities are leading the investigation into the crash.
Witness Accounts
Stacey Rohr, a local resident, said she was in bed when she heard the crash and "felt everything vibrate." She added, "It was so close I felt like it was the back of my place up in flames," and immediately called her landlord.
Cecil Keith told KEYE-TV he heard what sounded like an engine backfiring — "pow, pow, pow" — as the plane passed over his house moments before the crash. "Something was definitely wrong," he said.
Club President Remembers Victims
Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, said he had played numerous games with four of the five victims. "I've handed them medals. They were excellent players. They were out to win some games," Dyer said. "Every weekend there are dozens of tournaments. Some people get the bug; others don't. But once they do, they'll travel for a tournament."
Dyer revealed that a second aircraft had been traveling to the same event from Amarillo simultaneously. Authorities confirmed it landed safely at New Braunfels National Airport, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of San Antonio.
"I haven't heard anything from him," the pilot of the second plane said, according to air traffic control audio. A controller responded: "He started to move erratically and now his track is disappeared from the scope. So we want to make sure everything's all right with him."
At least one nearby pilot confirmed that the stricken plane's emergency locator device had triggered a distress signal. The controller subsequently called 911.
Weather Conditions
Conditions were mostly overcast in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash, with a thunderstorm reported two hours later, according to the National Weather Service.
Wimberley, home to around 3,000 residents, and New Braunfels, with a population of approximately 116,000, are popular tourist destinations in the Texas Hill Country.
