Small Plane Carrying Pickleball Players Crashes in Texas, Killing 5

A small plane carrying pickleball players crashed into trees near Wimberley late Thursday night, killing all five people on board, authorities said. The aircraft, a Cessna 421C, had departed from Amarillo and was headed to New Braunfels National Airport. The crash happened around 11 pm in Wimberley, about 40 miles southwest of Austin, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Images from the scene showed the plane destroyed in a wooded area. "The pilot and four passengers on board were pronounced deceased on scene," Sgt. Billy Ray told reporters, as quoted by AP. The victims' names were not immediately released. The Amarillo Pickleball Club said those on board were members traveling to a tournament. The players were headed to an event at the Cranky Pickle in New Braunfels. The tournament was canceled Friday, with organisers planning to honor the victims. Air traffic control audio indicated concern shortly before the crash. "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," a controller said. Federal agencies are leading the investigation into the crash. Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, said he knew most of the victims and had played with them. "I've handed them medals. They were excellent players. They were out to win some games," he said. "Every weekend there are dozens of tournaments. Some people get the bug; others don't. But once they'll travel for a tournament." Another plane traveling from Amarillo to the same event landed safely in New Braunfels. At least one pilot reported receiving a distress signal from the aircraft before it went down. Weather conditions in the area were mostly cloudy before the crash, with a thunderstorm reported later by the National Weather Service. Wimberley and New Braunfels are known tourist destinations in the Texas Hill Country.