Posted on 06/19/2025 7:56:12 AM PDT by DFG
The pilot of a small private jet that crash landed in southern California last month and killed everyone on board, including a famous drummer, clipped a power line during landing while flying too low a preliminary report has revealed.
The Cessna 550 Citation plummeted into San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood in the early hours of May 22 as it made its final approach for Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
Daniel Williams, a former drummer for metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, and famed music producer Dave Shapiro - who is believed to have been the pilot - were among the six people killed in the crash.
Several factors contributed to the fatal crash, including the poor weather conditions that Shapiro was navigating during the descent, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report released Wednesday.
The airport's weather data system and a runway lighting system designed to guide pilots as they approach the runway were also inoperable, the NTSB report reviewed by the Daily Mail revealed.
Shapiro was flying below the minimum crossing altitude as he approached the airport. Roughly two miles away from the airport, he struck power transmission lines about 95 feet above the ground, slicing the tail of his plane and damaging the stabilizers.
The crash killed everyone aboard the jet and left eight people on the ground with minor injuries. The crash damaged one home and sent debris and jet fuel down the street, igniting 20 vehicles in flames, the report said.
The fatal plane crash comes amid a spate of aviation accidents including just last week when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after take-off, killing all but one of 242 people on board.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The pilot was acting stupidly—probably helped by fatigue and lack of sleep.
Other planes landed just fine. Shapiro blew it.
“Shapiro was flying below the minimum crossing altitude as he approached the airport. Roughly two miles away from the airport, he struck power transmission lines about 95 feet above the ground, slicing the tail of his plane and damaging the stabilizers.”
I know nothing about air traffic control, so maybe I don’t understand some things. But I was shocked to learn that there are no air traffic control people in that airport in the middle of the night. Which makes me wonder, why are airplanes apparently allowed to land at an unstaffed airfield.
Considering it was a foggy night, there were no air traffic control people at that airport, the runway lights were not working, add it all up, and we see a tragic accident.
It also looks like the ILS wasn’t working, as a glide slope warning would have sounded. Also means no landing should have been atemptedsue to conditions.
Tragic Accident,
Two Miles Short at A Small field.
“Only 10% of airports actually have air traffic control …
Feb 26, 2025 · Of the 5,100 public airports across the country, only about 10% have towers staffed by people who direct the flow of traffic.”
DEI Pilot?
I never heard of the musician or his band, but I’m sorry he was killed.
True, and of those, many switch to unmanned operations at night and over the weekend.
“Which makes me wonder, why are airplanes apparently allowed to land at an unstaffed airfield.”
I have landed at many installed airports.
I have landed at many unstaffed airports.
Perhaps someone forget to reset his altimeter prior to approach.
Lots of holes in that Swiss cheese, but the bottom line is this hot shot pilot was attempting to land below weather miniums and found out why there are minimums.
ILS isn't the only option, although the reports about this crash haven't been clear about whether this specific Cessna 550 Citation was fitted with a GPS unit programmed for landings.
https://simpleflying.com/gps-guided-approaches-and-landings/
ILS was down and there was a NOTAM to that effect. He was desperately trying to key the runway lights ( keying the mike on airport frequency triggers the runway lights, not that he could have seen them in the soup), and he was attempting a landing below weather minimums for that aircraft configuration and he knew it. Get there itis. he FAFOed.
Thanks for info. I did not realize there are many unstaffed airports.
..The Pilot had a terminal case of “get thereitits”. We were informed that he took all of those risks because he had parked his car at that airport.
Never allow your/a music producer to be your (single) pilot.
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