A small plane crashed in a wooded area of Texas Hill Country late Thursday night, resulting in the deaths of all five people on board, officials confirmed Friday.
Crash Details
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. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and four passengers.
Witnesses reported hearing unusual sounds before the crash. Stacey Rohr, a nearby resident, told KEYE-TV: "I just heard a loud crash. I felt everything vibrate. Everything was up in flames. It was crazy." Cecil Keith said he heard what sounded like an engine backfiring—"pow, pow, pow"—as the plane flew over his house moments before impact. "Something was definitely wrong," he added.
Flight Path
According to flight history, the plane departed Amarillo in northwest Texas about two hours earlier and was en route to New Braunfels National Airport, near Austin. It crashed not far from its intended destination. Aerial images show the aircraft wreckage scattered among trees.
Judge Becerra stated that the victims' names would not be released until their families have been notified. He also noted that a second aircraft traveling in the area landed safely at New Braunfels Airport, about 30 miles northeast of San Antonio.
Air Traffic Control Communication
Air traffic control audio captured a pilot who said he and the Cessna pilot were flying together. "I haven't heard anything from him," the pilot said. A controller responded: "He started to move erratically and now his track has 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 called 911.
Weather Conditions
The National Weather Service reported mostly cloudy skies in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash, with a thunderstorm arriving two hours later.
Wimberley, home to about 3,000 residents, and New Braunfels, with a population of roughly 116,000, are popular tourist destinations in Texas Hill Country. They attract hikers to the wooded rolling hills and visitors for tubing on local rivers.
