A small plane crashed in Texas Hill Country on Thursday night, killing all five people on board, officials confirmed Friday. The accident occurred in Wimberley, a city approximately 40 miles southwest of Austin, according to Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, who announced the incident via a Facebook post.
Details of the Crash
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the aircraft, a Cessna 421C, went down around 11:25 p.m. with five individuals aboard. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will jointly investigate the crash to determine its cause.
Flight records indicate the plane departed from Amarillo, Texas, roughly two hours before the accident and was en route to New Braunfels National Airport. Preliminary information suggests the aircraft was traveling at a high speed at the time of impact, Becerra stated. The names of the victims have not been released, pending notification of their families.
Second Aircraft Lands Safely
A second aircraft that was traveling in the same vicinity landed safely at New Braunfels Airport, located about 30 miles northeast of San Antonio. According to Air Traffic Control audio, a pilot reported that he and the pilot of the Cessna were flying together. “I haven’t heard anything from him,” the pilot is heard saying. 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 confirmed that the troubled plane’s emergency locator transmitter had emitted a distress signal. The controller subsequently contacted 911.
Weather Conditions
The National Weather Service reported mostly cloudy skies in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash, with a thunderstorm occurring about two hours later. Wimberley, home to approximately 3,000 residents, is a popular tourist and hiking destination in the Texas Hill Country, situated along the Blanco River. Wimberley Mayor Jim Chiles told the Associated Press early Friday that he had no additional information about the crash.
