Five people have lost their lives after a light aircraft plummeted into woodland in the US.

The small plane was transporting pickleball players across Texas Hill Country, claiming the lives of all five people on board, authorities have confirmed.

The incident took place at approximately 11pm on Thursday in Wimberley, a town roughly 40 miles (65 kilometres) southwest of Austin, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

"The pilot and four passengers on board were pronounced deceased on scene," Sgt. Billy Ray told reporters.

The identities of the victims were not immediately disclosed by authorities, though the Amarillo Pickleball Club in Amarillo, Texas, confirmed they were members travelling to a tournament.

The aircraft, a Cessna 421C, had departed from Amarillo and was bound for New Braunfels National Airport, according to flight records. Aerial images published online by the Austin American-Statesman showed the plane utterly destroyed in a wooded area.

Ray confirmed that federal authorities were leading the investigation.

Local resident Stacey Rohr said she was in bed when she heard the crash and "felt everything vibrate.

"It was so close I felt like it was the back of my place up in flames," said Rohr, who immediately rang her landlord.

Cecil Keith said he heard what sounded like an engine backfiring - "pow, pow, pow" - as the plane passed over his house moments before the crash. "Something was definitely wrong," he told KEYE-TV. Dan Dyer, president of the Amarillo Pickleball Club, revealed he had played numerous matches with four of the five victims who perished in the tragedy.

"I've handed them medals. They were excellent players. They were out to win some games," Dyer said. "Every weekend there are dozens of tournaments. Some people get the bug; others don't. But once they do, they'll travel for a tournament."

Dyer disclosed that a second aircraft had been heading to the same event from Amarillo at the same time. Authorities confirmed it touched down safely at the airport in New Braunfels, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometres) northeast of San Antonio.

"I haven't heard anything from him," the pilot of the second plane said, according to Air Traffic Control audio.

A controller responded: "He started to move erratically and now his track is disappeared from the scope. So we want to make sure everything's all right with him."

At least one nearby pilot confirmed that the stricken aircraft's emergency locator device had activated a distress signal. The controller subsequently called 911.

Conditions were largely overcast across the New Braunfels area shortly before the crash, with a thunderstorm reported two hours afterwards, according to the National Weather Service.

Wimberley, home to around 3,000 residents, and New Braunfels, with a population of approximately 116,000, are well-regarded tourist destinations nestled within the Texas Hill Country.