A devastating plane crash occurred in a residential neighborhood near San Diego’s Montgomery Field Airport, claiming the lives of all six people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the crash, which happened around 3:45 local time on Thursday. The victims include prominent music agent Dave Shapiro, former Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams, and employees Emma Huke and Kendall Fortner from Sound Talent Group.
According to NTSB investigator Dan Baker, the airport was experiencing technical issues at the time of the crash. The Automated Surface Observing Station, which provides weather data to pilots, was inoperative due to an unrelated power surge. Additionally, a notice to pilots (Notam) had been filed, warning of an issue with the lighting system on one of the runways, which the pilot was attempting to land on. Baker attributed the outage to “some sort of technical glitch,” but cautioned that it is unclear whether this contributed to the crash.
The investigation is ongoing, with the NTSB receiving assistance from the FBI. Investigators have found that the plane struck high-tension power lines before crashing into homes in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood. The Cessna 550 was not equipped with a flight data recorder, which would have provided more information. A preliminary report from the NTSB is expected to be released within 30 days, with a final report in the next 12 to 24 months.
The community is mourning the loss of the victims, with tributes pouring in for Shapiro and Williams. The Devil Wears Prada band members paid tribute to Williams, posting a series of photos and stating, “no words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.” Sound Talent Group described Huke as “a beautiful soul who brought joy and a light to everyone in her presence” and Fortner as “the life of the party and lit up any room she entered.”