Five members of a pickleball club who died when a small plane crashed in Texas Hill Country were being mourned by fellow players Saturday, as federal authorities led the investigation into what caused the crash. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that Justin Appling, Hayden Dillard, Brooke Skypala, Stacy Hedrick and Seren Wilson were aboard the Cessna 421C that crashed Thursday night, according to the department.
Texas officials said the plane departed Amarillo and was heading to New Braunfels National Airport. The aircraft crash-landed in Wimberley, a city about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Austin, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Fellow club members described the victims as tightly connected through pickleball and travel, saying the loss cut through a community that treats tournament partners like family. The Amarillo Pickleball Club posted on social media that the victims were members on their way to a pickleball tournament in New Braunfels.
Sarah Lister, who got to know Dillard and Appling through pickleball tournaments, said they were both “genuine people.” She said Appling was always making others laugh and Dillard was an “amazing businesswoman and mother.” Lister said Dillard has two daughters, one of whom was about to start college, and that Dillard and Appling had played mixed doubles together for a long time, with Skypala as Dillard’s women’s doubles partner.
Leroy Clifford, a club member who traveled to the tournament on another plane, said the group felt like family even though he had only recently met Wilson. Clifford said they bonded through Pro Pickleball Association-sanctioned tournaments they attended across the country, from Dallas to Las Vegas, and he described them as “fun, carefree, not uptight, just relaxed, loved to joke with each other, make fun of each other.” He added that “You couldn’t ask for better friends, honestly.”
Clifford described Skypala as quick-witted and a natural athlete, and said Hedrick was someone who loved to laugh and had “a big heart.” He said Hedrick earned the nickname “Rippy” from Appling and that “all she did was rip,” describing her skills in pickleball. Clifford also said Wilson was an accomplished tennis player, and that in 2022 she was a University Interscholastic League team tennis state champion according to the tennis booster club at Amarillo High School, where she graduated.
A family member of Wilson declined to comment when reached by phone Saturday. The Amarillo pickleball community also posted on Facebook that “Seren loved big and her presence, encouragement, and spirit will be deeply missed by so many,” reflecting the grief extending beyond the court.
As the search for answers continued, the tournament the players were supposed to compete in at the Cranky Pickle in New Braunfels canceled Friday’s events, said Martin Robertson, head pro at the venue. Robertson said in the wake of the crash, “We’re very heavy-hearted, heartbroken from this,” adding that “Everybody knows everybody.”
Federal authorities are leading the investigation into what caused the crash. Recorded audio indicates another pilot in the area confirmed the plane’s locator emergency device had emitted a distress signal, and an air traffic controller then called 911, according to the report. The National Weather Service said it was mostly cloudy in the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash and that a thunderstorm occurred about two hours later. Clifford said the Amarillo club’s focus now is supporting those closest to the five, and he said it is a “long road ahead,” while noting that there is “a lot of love and support from everyone that knew these people.”