5 dead in small plane crash south of Austin, county official says

(WIMBERLEY, Texas) — Five people were killed in a plane crash in Texas on Thursday night, investigators said.

Hayes County Judge Ruben Becerra said first responders received a call around 11:00 p.m. local time of a plane down in the area of Wimberley, which is roughly 30 miles southwest of Austin.

Fire and EMS crews found the downed Cessna 421C, along with the bodies of the five deceased passengers. Their identities were not immediately released.

Although a cause of the crash was not immediately determined, investigators said preliminary information shows that there was no midair collision.

“Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact,” Becerra said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation, according to the judge.