Texas plane crash kills five pickleball players travelling to tournament

Five pickleball players from Amarillo died when their small aircraft crashed in Wimberley, Texas Hill Country, authorities confirmed. The Cessna 421C was completely destroyed in the wooded area

Five individuals have tragically lost their lives after a small plane crashed into the trees in the US.

The light aircraft, carrying pickleball players in Texas Hill Country, resulted in the death of all five passengers on board, as confirmed by authorities.

The crash took place around 11pm on Thursday in Wimberley, a town roughly 40 miles (65 kilometres) southwest of Austin, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“The pilot and four passengers on board were pronounced deceased on scene,” Sgt. Billy Ray informed reporters.

The identities of the victims were not immediately disclosed by authorities, although the Amarillo Pickleball Club in Amarillo, Texas, confirmed they were members en route to a tournament.

The aircraft, a Cessna 421C, had taken off from Amarillo and was heading for New Braunfels National Airport, as per flight records. Aerial images published online by the Austin American-Statesman depicted the plane completely destroyed in a wooded area.

Ray confirmed that federal authorities were leading the investigation.

Stacey Rohr, a local resident, said she was in bed when she heard the crash and “felt everything vibrate.

“It was so close I felt like it was the back of my place up in flames,” said Rohr, who promptly phoned her landlord.

Cecil Keith reported hearing what sounded like an engine backfiring – “pow, pow, pow” – as the plane flew over his house moments before the crash. “Something was definitely wrong,” he told KEYE-TV.

Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, revealed he had played numerous games with four of the five individuals who tragically lost their lives.

“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 disclosed that a second aircraft had been en route to the same event from Amarillo at the same time. Authorities confirmed it landed safely at the airport in New Braunfels, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometres) 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 pilot in the vicinity confirmed that the distressed plane’s emergency locator device had triggered a distress signal. The controller subsequently dialled 999.

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.