- Air traffic control audio has shed new light on the moments before a Cessna 421C aircraft crashed near Austin, Texas, resulting in the deaths of all five people onboard.
- The plane, which was en route from Amarillo to New Braunfels National Airport, was observed flying "erratically" before it crashed in the woods and caught fire.
- Residents near the crash site described hearing a startling sound and an engine backfiring moments before impact, with one feeling vibrations as if the crash was very close.
- Air Traffic Control audio revealed a pilot flying with the Cessna reported losing contact, and controllers noted the aircraft's erratic movement before its track disappeared, prompting a distress signal and a call to 911.
- Federal authorities are leading the investigation into the incident, and the identities of the victims have not yet been publicly disclosed.
IN FULL
Pilot made frantic call to air traffic control before plane crash that killed five near Austin
