{"id":2603482,"date":"2026-05-16T11:15:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T15:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/small-plane-crashes-on-the-way-to-pickleball-tournament-in-texas-kills-five\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T11:15:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T15:15:56","slug":"small-plane-crashes-on-the-way-to-pickleball-tournament-in-texas-kills-five","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/small-plane-crashes-on-the-way-to-pickleball-tournament-in-texas-kills-five\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Plane Crashes on the Way to Pickleball Tournament in Texas, Kills Five"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsmall-plane-crashes-on-the-way-to-pickleball-tournament-in-texas-kills-five%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2603482&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A twin-engine Cessna 421C crashed in Hays County, texas, shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday while heading toward New Braunfels National Airport. The incident killed all five peopel aboard, including pilot justin Appling and four passengers: Hayden Dillard, Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala, and Stacy Hedrick. Local and federal authorities-along with the FAA and NTSB-are investigating the cause. The impact started a fire that destroyed the plane; it departed from Amarillo and reportedly climbed normally before <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >abruptly dropping rapidly<\/a> and losing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-federal-investigators-reveal-likely-reason-for-helicopter-crash-that-killed-kobe-bryant\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Federal Investigators Reveal Likely Reason For Helicopter ... That Killed Kobe Bryant\">radar contact<\/a>. No immediate signs of a midair collision were reported.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/9-11s-iconic-photos-20-years-later\/\" title=\"9\/11\u2019s Iconic Photos, 20 Years Later\">small plane crash<\/a> in Texas resulted in the deaths of all five passengers on board as they were on their way to a pickleball tournament on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>A twin-engine Cessna 421C was heading toward New Braunfels National Airport in Guadalupe County, Texas, when it crashed just after 11 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>KTBC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox7austin.com\/news\/victim-names-released-fiery-plane-crash-killed-5-central-texas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> that the five victims included pilot Justin Appling, as well as Hayden Dillard, Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala, and Stacy Hedrick.<\/p>\n<p>Agents from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Five people were killed after a Cessna plane crashed and caught fire in a wooded area of Hays County, Texas; the FAA and NTSB are investigating, with no immediate signs of a midair collision reported.<\/p>\n<p>Watch OAN on Spectrum and YouTube TV today for more updates. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wCElp86q0o\">pic.twitter.com\/wCElp86q0o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 One America News (@OANN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OANN\/status\/2050615116509675655?\">May 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The cause for the tragic incident is not yet known.<\/p>\n<p>Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said that first responders answered a call about the downed aircraft on Thursday night.<\/p>\n<p>A fire that started after the impact destroyed the plane, which had departed from Amarillo.<\/p>\n<p>There is no indication of a midair collision, but the plane was known to be flying quickly at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n<p>The plane had a normal takeoff, reaching a height of 17,400 feet, but suddenly started dropping over 5,000 feet per minute, while radar contact was also lost.<\/p>\n<p>Dillard and Appling owned a manufactured home dealer in Amarillo, the Associated Press <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/texas-plane-crash-pickleball-555c97a4ebc91b07000d471be696cac0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah Lister, who knew the pair through pickleball tournaments, said that Appling had a natural wit, while Dillard was an exemplary mother and businesswoman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pickleball world is super, super small, even though it\u2019s huge at the same time,\u201d Lister told the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd when one of us has a tragedy like this, it\u2019s like it\u2019s the whole community that gets hit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lister added that Dillard had two daughters, one of which is preparing to start college.<\/p>\n<p>Leroy Clifford, who traveled to the same tournament on a different plane, was also close to most of the victims.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne thing I can say about this group is this group, you wanted to be around this group. They were fun, carefree, not uptight, just relaxed, loved to joke with each other, make fun of each other,\u201d Clifford said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou couldn\u2019t ask for better friends, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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