WIMBERLEY, TEXAS — A Cessna 421C aircraft broke apart in midair before crashing near Round Rock Road in Wimberley, Texas, on April 30, killing all five people on board, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The aircraft, which went down at around 11 p.m., was carrying members of a pickleball club from the Amarillo area who were traveling to New Braunfels to participate in a tournament.
According to the preliminary report, the pilot, identified as Appling, reported issues with his pitot heat, which is used for anti-icing, before the crash. During the descent, Appling reported that his pitot tube was inoperable due to freezing up, forcing him to use backup gauges.
Investigators said the plane made erratic turns before breaking apart. The debris field covered about 1.25 miles, which investigators said is consistent with an aircraft breaking up mid-flight. FAA investigators have found additional debris in the surrounding woods.
Stormy weather was reported in the area on Thursday night. Residents near the crash site said they heard unusual sounds shortly before the plane went down.
Stacey Rohr said she heard buzzing noises coming from outside and that her home shook like an earthquake when the plane crashed in the woods next to her home. "Just very sad about the whole thing and feeling very grateful that it wasn't any closer because it was literally right here where it landed. There's homes and stuff. So yeah, just grateful," Rohr said.
Ivars Vilums said he heard the aircraft around 10:30 p.m. and later discovered debris in his front yard, including an 8-foot-long piece of the plane's tail. "It was making strange, very low RPMs, and revving, and revving, and revving. But it flew on by," Vilums said.
He said he had initially thought the aircraft crashed intact. "From your story, it made me think that it just crashed, but no – it was falling apart in the air," he said.
The NTSB plans to issue a final report on what may have caused the crash within the next year or two. The board's preliminary report did not identify a definitive cause of the breakup.