Hays County officials confirmed earlier in the week that all five occupants of a Cessna 421C which crashed in the Wimberley area on April 30 died.
On Saturday afternoon, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that pilot Justin Appling, along with passengers Hayden Dillard, Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala and Stacy Hedrick perished in the crash.
Emergency responders were dispatched at approximately 11:05 p.m. Thursday night following reports of an aircraft down in the 200 block of Roundrock in the Ledgerock neighborhood. Residents in the area reported seeing a flash and what sounded like an engine malfunction. One Ledgerock resident reported,
which the Wimberley View has not yet confirmed, that an engine landed in his neighbor’s yard. Another resident as far away as Woodcreek told the Wimberley View that he remembered hearing a loud boom at the time of the crash.
According to flight records obtained by ABC News, the plane was one of two that took off from Amarillo. According to friends of one of the occupants who perished, the two planes were headed to a pickleball tournament in New Braunfels. The second plane arrived at the New Braunfels National airport safely.
Fire and EMS personnel remained on scene through the early morning hours.
Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact. Based on current findings, there is no indication of a mid-air collision. The second aircraft landed safely at the New Braunfels National airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified and are leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. The investigation could take anywhere from 12 to 24 months to complete. The crash remains an active investigation. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
