Tragedy struck in Texas Hill Country as a small plane carrying five pickleball enthusiasts crashed late Thursday night, resulting in the loss of all lives on board. Authorities shared this grim news on Friday, shedding light on the unfortunate incident.

The crash occurred around 11 p.m. in Wimberley, a quaint city located about 40 miles southwest of Austin, as reported by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Sgt. Billy Ray confirmed to the press that the pilot and four passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The victims, identified as Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala, Stacy Hedrick, Glenn Appling, and Hayden Dillard, were members of the Amarillo Pickleball Club. They had embarked on this journey to participate in a tournament, the club revealed in a heartfelt statement. “Please keep their precious families in your thoughts and prayers,” the statement urged. “While many were friends to players, the loss is most profound for their close families, who may need our support during these trying times.”

The ill-fated aircraft, a Cessna 421C, had taken off from Amarillo with the aim of landing at New Braunfels National Airport. However, it met its tragic end in a wooded area. Aerial photographs shared by the Austin American-Statesman depict the plane’s wreckage amidst the trees, a stark reminder of the sudden and devastating crash.

‘Please keep their precious families in your thoughts and prayers,’ the club said in a statement. ‘Although many were friends to players, the loss is most horrible to their close family. And those families may need our help in these times.’

The plane, a Cessna 421C, took off from Amarillo and was headed to New Braunfels National Airport, according to the flight history. Aerial photos posted online by the Austin American-Statesman showed the aircraft destroyed in a wooded area.

A preliminary investigation revealed the aircraft ‘was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact’ and ‘there is no indication of a mid-air collision’. 

Stacey Rohr, who lives nearby, said she was in bed when she heard a crash and ‘felt everything vibrate.’

‘It was so close I felt like it was the back of my place up in flames,’ said Rohr, who immediately called her landlord.

The players were heading to a pickleball tournament at the Cranky Pickle in New Braunfels, about 30 miles northeast of San Antonio, said Martin Robertson, head pro at the venue.

He said they canceled the tournament Friday and plan to say a prayer before they start Saturday and honor the players who died.

‘We’re very heavy hearted, heartbroken from this,’ he said. ‘The pickleball community is very tight-knit. Everybody knows everybody.’

Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, said he’d played many games with four of the five people who were killed.

‘I’ve handed them medals. They were excellent players. They were out to win some games,’ Dyer said. ‘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.’

A pilot in the area confirmed the plane’s locator emergency device emitted a distress signal

Dyer said a second plane was traveling to the event from Amarillo at the same time. Authorities said it landed safely at the airport in New Braunfels.

‘I haven’t heard anything from him,’ the pilot of the second plane said, according to Air Traffic Control audio.

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 the troubled plane’s locator emergency device had emitted a distress signal. The controller called 911.

It was mostly cloudy in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash and there was a thunderstorm two hours later, the National Weather Service said.