A small plane carrying five people crashed into a wooded area in Texas Hill Country, killing everyone aboard, authorities said.

The crash occurred at about 11 p.m. Thursday near Wimberley, a city roughly 40 miles southwest of Austin, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Sgt. Billy Ray said the pilot and all four passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities had not immediately released the names of the victims. The Amarillo Pickleball Club in Amarillo, Texas, said the passengers were members of the club who were traveling to a pickleball tournament.

The aircraft was identified as a Cessna 421C. Flight history showed that it had departed from Amarillo and was headed toward New Braunfels National Airport.

Aerial photographs published by the Austin American-Statesman showed the aircraft destroyed among trees near the crash site.

The incident drew local residents and emergency personnel to the area. Stacey Rohr, who lives nearby, said she was in bed when she heard a loud crash and felt her home vibrate.

Rohr said the crash appeared to have occurred so close to her property that she initially feared the back of her home might be on fire.

Federal authorities were leading the investigation into the crash, officials said. The cause had not been determined in the information provided.

The deaths have left members of the local pickleball community mourning as investigators work to establish what caused the aircraft to go down.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, Jim Vertuno and Ed White, May 2, 2026.