What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30 2026, at approximately 21:11 local time, privacy data omitted, a Cessna 421 departed H81 river falls airport, amarillo, Texas, on a part 91 IFR flight with the destination of kbaz new braunfels regional airport with an estimated arrival time of approximately 23:19 central daylight time. The aircraft was being flown by the owner of the aircraft and four passengers for a personal flight under part 91 rules.
Approximately 25 miles north of kbaz airport, the aircraft suffered an in-flight breakup and crashed near Wimberley Texas approximately one hour and fifty minutes later.
(ADS-B data) supports that the pilot of privacy data omitted may have become disorientated during attempts to descend due to icing conditions and potentially an iced pitot static system. The data shows that the aircraft experienced (three) departures from controlled flight as well as possible (two) separate stalls, with the third event showing evidence of overspeed and or overcontrolling exceeding the aircrafts limitations substantiating an in-flight breakup of the aircraft.
The main wreckage area consisted of the main cabin, right wing, main landing gears, vertical stabilizer and most of the rudder and the left inboard wing section up to the outboard engine nacelle. Missing were both engines and propellers, and associated fairing, the left-wing section outboard of the left engine nacelle, the top portion of the rudder, and both horizontal stabilizers and elevators.
ATC recordings suggest that the pilot may have had an issue with the pitot heat system. During the flight, the pilot asked ATC for altitude verification to which ATC provided. The pilot later stated to ATC that he was having icing issues with his pitot heat system, stating that “our pitot heat has iced up, we are on back up gauges, trying to get lower to get warmed back up, uh, pitot heat is not working”
A second aircraft, privacy data omitted privacy data omitted of privacy data omitted was being flown by a friend was also carrying four passengers and departed from the same airport to the same destination for the purpose of attending a pickle ball tournament in new braunfels Texas.
The second aircraft PIC reported that both aircraft had originally planned to fly the route the next day, Friday morning, but due to forecasted low ceilings, storms and visibility, it was decided to fly the route on Thursday evening. Both aircraft decided to depart at the near the same time.
The altitude flown by the accident aircraft during cruise was shown to be 17,000 feet. The second aircraft, privacy data omitted flew at 15,000 feet.
Conversations with the PIC of N41106 stated that he was flying (cruising at 15,000) and was mostly between two layers of clouds. During the conversation, it was determined that the accident aircraft was most likely in the upper layer if flying at 17,000 feet.
Unable at this time to obtain updated information on the pilot time and experience. Pilot times listed were from the last reported pilot’s 8710
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 21:11 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CESSNA 421 DEPARTED H81 RIVER FALLS AIRPORT, AMARILLO, TEXAS, ON A PART 91 IFR FLIGHT WITH THE DESTINATION OF KBAZ NEW BRAUNFELS REGIONAL AIRPORT WITH AN ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME OF APPROXIMATELY 23:19 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN BY THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUR PASSENGERS FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER PART 91 RULES.
APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES NORTH OF KBAZ AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP AND CRASHED NEAR WIMBERLEY TEXAS APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AND FIFTY MINUTES LATER.
(ADS-B DATA) SUPPORTS THAT THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MAY HAVE BECOME DISORIENTATED DURING ATTEMPTS TO DESCEND DUE TO ICING CONDITIONS AND POTENTIALLY AN ICED PITOT STATIC SYSTEM. THE DATA SHOWS THAT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED (THREE) DEPARTURES FROM CONTROLLED FLIGHT AS WELL AS POSSIBLE (TWO) SEPARATE STALLS, WITH THE THIRD EVENT SHOWING EVIDENCE OF OVERSPEED AND OR OVERCONTROLLING EXCEEDING THE AIRCRAFTS LIMITATIONS SUBSTANTIATING AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE AREA CONSISTED OF THE MAIN CABIN, RIGHT WING, MAIN LANDING GEARS, VERTICAL STABILIZER AND MOST OF THE RUDDER AND THE LEFT INBOARD WING SECTION UP TO THE OUTBOARD ENGINE NACELLE. MISSING WERE BOTH ENGINES AND PROPELLERS, AND ASSOCIATED FAIRING, THE LEFT-WING SECTION OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT ENGINE NACELLE, THE TOP PORTION OF THE RUDDER, AND BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS.
ATC RECORDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE PILOT MAY HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE PITOT HEAT SYSTEM. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT ASKED ATC FOR ALTITUDE VERIFICATION TO WHICH ATC PROVIDED. THE PILOT LATER STATED TO ATC THAT HE WAS HAVING ICING ISSUES WITH HIS PITOT HEAT SYSTEM, STATING THAT “OUR PITOT HEAT HAS ICED UP, WE ARE ON BACK UP GAUGES, TRYING TO GET LOWER TO GET WARMED BACK UP, UH, PITOT HEAT IS NOT WORKING”
A SECOND AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS BEING FLOWN BY A FRIEND WAS ALSO CARRYING FOUR PASSENGERS AND DEPARTED FROM THE SAME AIRPORT TO THE SAME DESTINATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING A PICKLE BALL TOURNAMENT IN NEW BRAUNFELS TEXAS.
THE SECOND AIRCRAFT PIC REPORTED THAT BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO FLY THE ROUTE THE NEXT DAY, FRIDAY MORNING, BUT DUE TO FORECASTED LOW CEILINGS, STORMS AND VISIBILITY, IT WAS DECIDED TO FLY THE ROUTE ON THURSDAY EVENING. BOTH AIRCRAFT DECIDED TO DEPART AT THE NEAR THE SAME TIME.
THE ALTITUDE FLOWN BY THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DURING CRUISE WAS SHOWN TO BE 17,000 FEET. THE SECOND AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW AT 15,000 FEET.
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PIC OF N41106 STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING (CRUISING AT 15,000) AND WAS MOSTLY BETWEEN TWO LAYERS OF CLOUDS. DURING THE CONVERSATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS MOST LIKELY IN THE UPPER LAYER IF FLYING AT 17,000 FEET.
UNABLE AT THIS TIME TO OBTAIN UPDATED INFORMATION ON THE PILOT TIME AND EXPERIENCE. PILOT TIMES LISTED WERE FROM THE LAST REPORTED PILOT’S 8710
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.