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.
Related Stories
5/4/2025
4/24/2025
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.
From NTD News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Commuters who appeal penalty fares risk criminal record
SCHEDULE FOR 6.30AM LIVE PRIORITY TAG Commuters who challenge train ticket inspectors now risk getting a criminal record, The Telegraph can reveal. Passengers who are handed penalty fares for making mistakes when buying their tickets can now be prosecuted as criminals if their appeals against those penalties are rejected. Rules have changed thanks to a judgment made by the Chief Magistrate earlier this year, the existence of which The Telegraph is revealing now. Penalty fares are given to train passengers who cannot produce a valid ticket when asked by an inspector. The rule change, likely to affect tens of millions of journeys per year, comes after the Office of Rail and Road warned train companies last week to stop punishing people who make 'seemingly unintentional or minor transgressions of fares and ticketing rules'. Public concern about fare-dodging has reached a high point after Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow justice secretary, was filmed challenging miscreants in London. Credit: X/@RobertJenrick Yet those who formally dispute an inspector's view of the notoriously complex web of British train ticketing rules could now find themselves with a criminal record if they stand up for what they believe is right. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said in a written ruling dated February 21, which has not previously been published: 'I rule that criminal prosecutions can be brought following a penalty fare appeal being dismissed…' The judge said he had been given 'an undertaking that all [Department for Transport Train Operating Companies] will follow the guidance given by the court'. Fines of up to £1,000 and, for repeat offenders, prison sentences of up to three months can result from a conviction for failing to produce a ticket or travelling with intent to avoid payment. A conviction under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 will appear on DBS background checks, potentially affecting someone's job prospects. Campaigners fear that Judge Goldspring's ruling has given train companies a green light to threaten honest but mistaken commuters with a criminal record as the price of challenging ticket inspectors. Christian Waters, 47, of Leeds, who was targeted for prosecution in 2022 after having his penalty fare appeal rejected, said: 'Why was this ruling not published, given it affects the protection that hundreds of thousands of passengers would assume they had from the regulations? Mr Waters, whose case was dropped after he realised that Government-owned rail company Northern had broken the rules by trying to haul him in front of a judge, said: 'I do feel like they are saying I got off on a technicality now. I still dispute that I did anything wrong; their machine was not working!' 'No one has any protection at all, a sham of an appeal system and then money [is] demanded backed up by criminal law,' he continued. Westminster magistrates' court's unpublicised ruling came about after another Government-owned train company, Southeastern, asked the court if a number of previous prosecutions it brought were lawful. The exact number was not revealed in the judgment. 'It is clearly irrational that a person who brought an unmeritorious appeal could not be prosecuted, whereas someone who did not appeal could be,' ruled Judge Goldspring. While an out-of-court appeals process exists for penalty fares, Parliament never intended for commuters to be criminalised when it created the scheme some 35 years ago. Introducing the 1988 law that created penalty fares, Tory peer Lord Marshall of Leeds told Parliament: 'If, however, a passenger on a train is not in possession of a ticket, he is not to be treated as a criminal under this Bill. He is simply asked to pay a penalty fare, which is a civil penalty and not a criminal one.' Today, Regulation 11(3) of the Railways (Penalty Fares) Regulations 2018 says that prosecution is only allowed where the penalty has been cancelled by the train company before the appeal panel has decided the outcome. Yet in his February 2025 ruling, Judge Goldspring said: 'The prosecutor obviously should not bring a prosecution if it is excluded,' but added: 'There is no obligation on the court to investigate whether the defendant has a defence.' Penalty fare appeals are decided on by a private company called Appeal Services, which is a contractor paid by train companies to decide penalty fare appeals. According to Appeal Services' website, in the last 28 days, its assessors rejected 80 per cent of first-stage appeals. Southeastern and the Department for Transport were contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hinckley plane crash leaves 1 man dead, 3-year-old with injuries
A plane crash in Hinckley left one person dead Saturday afternoon, according to the Hinckley Fire Protection District. Around 2:33 p.m. on Saturday, officials responded to a plane that crashed in a farm field west of Hinckley Airfield. The pilot, a 51-year-old man from Maple Park, was extracted from the plane and given emergency medical aid, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on the scene, officials said. His identity has not yet been released to the public. A boy, 3, who was a passenger in the plane crash also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb and later transferred to Lurie Children's Hospital in stable condition, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said. The plane that crashed was a single-engine 1946 Aerona 7 AC, the sheriff's office said. The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the crash.
Chicago Tribune
14 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Hinckley plane crash leaves 1 man dead, 3-year-old with injuries
A plane crash in Hinckley left one person dead Saturday afternoon, according to the Hinckley Fire Protection District. Around 2:33 p.m. on Saturday, officials responded to a plane that crashed in a farm field west of Hinckley Airfield. The pilot, a 51-year-old man from Maple Park, was extracted from the plane and given emergency medical aid, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on the scene, officials said. His identity has not yet been released to the public. A boy, 3, who was a passenger in the plane crash also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb and later transferred to Lurie Children's Hospital in stable condition, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said. The plane that crashed was a single-engine 1946 Aerona 7 AC, the sheriff's office said. The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the crash.
