Five people were killed after a small aircraft went down late Thursday night in the Wimberley, Texas area, officials said.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said emergency crews were dispatched around 11:05 p.m. following reports of a downed aircraft in the rural Hill Country area.
Authorities confirmed the aircraft, identified as a Cessna 421C, was carrying five people at the time of the crash. All five passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The identities of those on board are not being released at this time pending notification of next-of-kin.
“I just heard a loud crash. I felt everything vibrate,” Stacey Rohr, who lives nearby, told KEYE-TV. “Everything was up in flames. It was crazy.”
The aircraft took off from Amarillo and was en route to New Braunfels when it crashed, Mike Jones, director of the Hays County Office of Emergency Services, told KUT News.
Firefighters and EMS crews remained on-site into Friday morning, continuing response and recovery efforts.
Early findings suggest the plane was traveling at a high speed when it hit the ground. Officials said no signs point to a mid-air collision.
A second aircraft reported to be in the vicinity landed safely in New Braunfels, according to county officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and are expected to lead the investigation into the crash.
This is a developing story.