A preliminary federal investigation into last month’s small-plane crash near Wimberley, Texas, said the aircraft broke apart midair after the pilot reported freezing-related problems affecting instruments during the flight. The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot described issues with the plane’s anti-icing system, which is designed to keep onboard instruments from freezing, and that he later reported using backup gauges as he sought a lower altitude.
The NTSB preliminary report said the Cessna 421C took off from Amarillo at 9:10 p.m. on April 30 and crashed at about 11 p.m. in Wimberley, a city roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Austin. The pilot, Justin Appling, and passengers Hayden Dillard, Brooke Skypala, Stacy Hedrick and Seren Wilson were killed.
According to the report, the pilot reported problems with the anti-icing system during the flight. The report said the pilot then told air controllers that the instrument that measures airspeed had “iced up” and that he was using backup gauges.
The report also described the pilot’s decision-making as the flight progressed. It said the pilot was cleared to descend to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) and told controllers he wanted to get to a lower altitude to try to “warm back up.” Over the last 15 minutes before the crash, the plane flew at altitudes where temperatures hovered just below freezing, according to the report.
Investigators said the pilot’s last radio transmission with air controllers was made at 10:59 p.m., after which the plane made a series of descending left and right turns before it crashed. The NTSB said investigators found pieces of the plane over a 1.25-mile (2-kilometer) debris field, with distribution consistent with an inflight breakup.
The report placed the crash in a broader weather context, saying it was mostly cloudy in the area shortly before the crash. The National Weather Service said a thunderstorm later occurred about two hours after the crash, and that a second plane that was traveling with the group landed safely in New Braunfels.
The crash remains under investigation, and the agency’s preliminary findings are expected to be followed by additional analysis as the NTSB continues its work.