In a preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the twin-engine Cessna 421C aircraft, carrying a team from Amarillo that crashed around 11:03 p.m. in a wooded area near Wimberly, Texas, likely broke apart mid-air before crashing.
The Amarillo pickleball team members, Hayden Dillard, Seven Wilson, Brooke Skypala, and Stacy Hendrick, along with pilot Justin ”Glen” Appling, flew out from River Falls Airport in Amarillo around 9 p.m. April 30, headed for New Braunfels National Airport to attend a pickleball tournament.
Investigators said that the pilot reported issues with the aircraft’s instruments during the flight, including that the pilot heat was inoperable and the pitot tube had iced over. Appling told air traffic controllers he was using backup gauges and requested to descend to a lower altitude to warm up the aircraft.
Controllers cleared the plane to descend from 8,000 feet to 4,000 feet. Minutes later, radar and ADS-B tracking data showed the aircraft turning sharply left, then making a near-180-degree right turn before entering a descending right spiral.
The last tracking return came at 11:02 p.m. Thursday evening, April 30.
A nearby homeowner reported hearing the crash and seeing flames and called first responders to the sight. The wreckage was found in a wooded area, where investigators found debris scattered around 1.25 miles, consistent with an in-flight breakup.
Preliminary findings indicated the aircraft encountered freezing conditions — around minus 2 and minus 6 Celsius — in the minutes leading up to the crash. The aircraft was destroyed on impact, with a post-impact fire occurring on the ground, according to investigators. The weather was reported as being stormy around the time of the crash at around 11:03 p.m.
The NTSB reported that the finding is preliminary with the investigation ongoing, and a final report could take more than a year.
A candlelight vigil was held May 9 at Amarillo Netplex Athletic Center for friends, family and teammates to honor the lives of the five team members who were known for their contributions to Amarillo, not only in sports, but in everyday living.
This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Preliminary findings released on pickleball plane crash
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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