Five people from Amarillo lost their lives Thursday night when a small aircraft traveling to a recreational tournament crashed in Central Texas. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing as federal agencies work to determine what caused the fatal incident.
The crash occurred near the Hill Country community of Wimberley in Hays County, where first responders were dispatched around 11:05 p.m. to the 200 block of Round Rock Road following reports of a downed aircraft. According to Hays County Homeland Security & Emergency Management, all five people aboard the plane were killed.
Officials have not yet formally released the identities of those on board. However, High Plains Pundit confirmed that all five victims were from Amarillo. The group had been traveling to the New Braunfels area for a pickleball tournament.
The aircraft, identified as a Cessna 421C, departed Amarillo roughly two hours before the crash. Flight history data indicates the plane was en route to New Braunfels National Airport when the incident occurred.
“Preliminary information indicated the aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact,” officials said. “Based on current findings, there is no indication of a mid-air collision. A second aircraft traveling in the vicinity landed safely in New Braunfels.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. The NTSB reported that the aircraft went down in wooded terrain and was destroyed by a post-impact fire.
“After the wreckage is documented at the crash location, it will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation,” the NTSB said.
Air traffic control audio provides additional insight into the aircraft’s final moments. According to recordings, another pilot flying in the area said he had been traveling alongside the Cessna.
“I haven’t heard anything from him,” the pilot says on the recording.
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 pilot in the area also confirmed that the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter had issued a distress signal before the crash, prompting a controller to call 911.
Weather conditions at the time do not appear to have included severe storms. The National Weather Service reported mostly cloudy skies in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash, though a thunderstorm developed roughly two hours later.
Wimberley, a town of about 3,000 residents, is known as a popular destination in the Texas Hill Country, attracting visitors for its scenic views, hiking trails, and proximity to the Blanco River. The quiet community is now at the center of an investigation as officials work to piece together the circumstances surrounding the deadly crash.
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