WIMBERLEY, Texas — Five people died when their aircraft went down in a wooded area of central Texas Thursday evening, according to local authorities.
The fatal accident occurred in Wimberley, located approximately 40 miles southwest of Austin, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra announced through social media on Friday.
Federal Aviation Administration officials confirmed the Cessna 421C went down at approximately 11:25 p.m. Thursday with five occupants on board. Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will conduct investigations into the incident.
Flight records indicate the aircraft had departed from Amarillo roughly two hours before the crash, with New Braunfels National Airport as its intended destination. Images published by the Austin American-Statesman revealed the completely destroyed plane scattered throughout a forested region.
Judge Becerra stated that victim identities will remain confidential until relatives receive proper notification.
A second plane traveling in the same vicinity successfully completed its landing at New Braunfels airport, situated about 30 miles northeast of San Antonio.
Audio recordings from Air Traffic Control reveal one pilot mentioned flying alongside the Cessna pilot to the same destination.
“I haven’t heard anything from him,” the pilot states in the recording.
An air traffic controller replied: “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 aviator in the vicinity verified that the distressed aircraft’s emergency locator beacon had activated. Emergency services were subsequently contacted by the controller.
Weather data from the National Weather Service showed overcast conditions in the New Braunfels region before the accident, with thunderstorm activity developing two hours afterward.
The community of Wimberley, home to roughly 3,000 residents, serves as a well-known tourist and recreational hiking spot in the Texas Hill Country along the Blanco River.
