Music Talent Agency Cofounder, 2 Colleagues Killed in San Diego Plane Crash
Three members of a prominent music talent agency are among the six people presumed killed when a private jet crashed into a military housing neighborhood in San Diego early Thursday, according to statements from the agency and local authorities.
The crash occurred just before 4 a.m. in Murphy Canyon, the largest U.S. Navy-owned housing community in the country, as the Cessna 550 Citation jet approached Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in dense fog, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The aircraft, carrying six people, struck power lines and slammed into a home, setting off explosions and sending jet fuel streaming down the street, igniting at least six vehicles and damaging about 10 homes, Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy
Dave Shapiro, cofounder of Sound Talent Group, and two of his colleagues were among those killed, the agency confirmed in a statement.
'We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends. Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today's tragedy,' Sound Talent Group said. The agency, which represents artists such as Hanson, Vanessa Carlton, and Sum 41, also added that Shapiro is the owner of Velocity Records.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that all six people on board the jet are presumed dead, though authorities had not released official identifications pending recovery efforts.
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Daniel Williams, former drummer for the metal band The Devil Wears Prada, was also believed to be among the victims, based on an
No residents in the neighborhood were killed, but eight people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and other non-life-threatening injuries, including one person who was hurt while escaping through a window, according to San Diego police officer Anthony Carrasco.
More than 100 residents were evacuated to a nearby elementary school, and the smell of jet fuel lingered in the air for hours after the crash as firefighters battled car fires.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the aftermath of the area affected by the crash.
'I can't quite put words to describe what the scene looks like, but with the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see,' Wahl said.
Visibility Limited by Fog
The jet had left Teterboro Airport in New Jersey around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, made a fuel stop in Wichita, Kansas, and was on its final approach to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport when it crashed about two miles from the runway, according to NTSB investigator Elliot Simpson.
Audio from
Visibility was severely limited due to thick fog, with Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy stating, 'You could barely see in front of you' at the time of the crash.
Investigators are looking into whether the jet clipped a power line before crashing.
Residents described harrowing escapes from their homes.
Christopher Moore, a retired sailor, said he and his wife grabbed their three young sons and ran from their house after being awakened by a loud bang and seeing flames outside.
'It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you've just got to drop your head and get to safety,' Moore said.
Ariya Waterworth, who lives across the street from the crash site, remembered waking to a 'whooshing sound' and a giant fireball before evacuating her children and dog.
The crash destroyed at least one home, heavily burned its front, and partially collapsed its roof, while other homes and vehicles were severely damaged.
Thursday's tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly plane crashes in San Diego in recent years, including an incident in 2021 when a twin-engine plane crashed into a suburb, killing the pilot and a UPS driver who was delivering on the ground. The plane was preparing to land at the airport.
In 2008, a U.S. Marine Corps fighter jet crashed into a house in a neighborhood near San Diego University, killing four people due to an explosion. The Marine Corps said a mechanical failure and human error caused the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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