Five Dead as Texas Plane Crash Claims Amarillo Pickleball Players Heading to Tournament

A small plane carrying five members of the Amarillo Pickleball Club crashed in the Texas Hill Country late Thursday night, killing all on board as they were en route to a weekend tournament.

The Cessna 421C went down around 11:25 p.m. in Wimberley, a city approximately 40 miles southwest of Austin, according to Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra . Emergency responders were dispatched to the wooded area where the aircraft was found destroyed and partially consumed by fire.

Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact, though there is no indication of a mid-air collision . According to air traffic control audio, the pilot of a second aircraft traveling alongside the Cessna reported losing contact. “I haven’t heard anything from him,” the pilot said 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”.

The plane had departed from Amarillo around 9:11 p.m. and was scheduled to land at New Braunfels National Airport just before 11:20 p.m. . The passengers were reportedly heading to a pickleball tournament at the Cranky Pickle in New Braunfels, about 30 miles northeast of San Antonio.

Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, confirmed that four of the victims were club members he had personally competed against. “I’ve handed them medals. They were excellent players. They were out to win some games,” Dyer told the Associated Press. “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”.

Witnesses near the crash site described hearing unusual sounds before impact. Resident Stacey Rohr told reporters she was in bed when she heard a loud blast. “It felt like everything around me was shaking,” she said. “The plane was way too close to my house, like my backyard was on fire” . Another resident, Cecil Keith, said he heard what sounded like engine backfires—”pop, pop, pop”—as the plane passed over his home minutes before the crash.

Sgt. Billy Ray of the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the grim scene. “The pilot and four passengers on board were pronounced deceased on scene. The plane did catch fire. That would indicate some pretty severe damage to the plane”.

Judge Becerra said the names of the victims would not be released until families have been notified . A second aircraft traveling in the area landed safely at New Braunfels National Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The NTSB confirmed that an investigator has been dispatched to the scene, and the wreckage will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation after documentation is complete . The National Weather Service reported mostly cloudy conditions in the New Braunfels area around the time of the crash, with a thunderstorm arriving about two hours later.

Wimberley, a town of approximately 3,000 residents, is a popular tourist and hiking destination located in the Texas Hill Country along the Blanco River . The tournament venue, the Cranky Pickle, canceled Friday’s scheduled matches and planned to hold a prayer vigil before Saturday’s games in honor of the deceased players.