The five people killed in a fiery Texas plane crash on their way to a pickleball tournament have been identified.
Amarillo Pickleball Club members Seren Wilson, 19; Brooke Skypala, 45; Stacy Hedrick, 51; Justin “Glen” Appling, 37; and Hayden Dillard, 39, died in the wreck Thursday night, the organization announced on Facebook Friday.
“Today, the Club has received terrible news that we all must mourn in the loss of five members of our Amarillo pickleball family,” the club wrote.
Fellow athletes and loved ones offered an outpouring of support and grief for the doomed players.
“They were the greatest people I’ve ever met! Every tournament I was at they were also there and they were a hoot,” one man wrote.
“This breaks my heart. Praying for the family, friends and all the pickleball community. May the Lord be their comfort in their time of need,” another commenter added.
Wilson, the youngest victim, was honored in a heartfelt tribute from her high school tennis team.
“We are heartbroken to hear the terrible news of the loss of Amarillo High School graduate and Sandie Tennis alumni, Seren Wilson,” Amarillo High School’s tennis team wrote.
“Seren loved big and her presence, encouragement, and spirit will be deeply missed by so many.”
Skypala was a mental health counselor and a mother of three, according to LinkedIn and Facebook accounts.
Appling was a sales manager, while Dillard worked in real estate and leaves behind a daughter, their social media profiles show.
The twin-engine Cessna 421C was one of two small planes traveling from Amarillo to New Braunfels for the tournament when it crashed in a fireball just after 11 p.m. on Thursday, authorities said.
The aircraft plunged into a wooded area in Wimberly, about 40 miles southwest of Austin.
Flight tracking data show the plane took a sudden, sharp turn before plummeting from 13,600 feet to 7,000 feet — then stopped transmitting data entirely, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
The other plane arrived safely at New Braunfels National Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the crash.
The FAA and the NTSB did not provide any additional information when reached for comment Saturday.
