Runway lights not working before fatal San Diego plane crash, NTSB says
The pilot of a small private plane that crashed in a residential neighborhood of San Diego earlier this week faced fog as he attempted to land, while runway lights and a weather alert system at the airport were not working, investigators said.
The crash in the early hours of Thursday killed all six people on board, including music executive Dave Shapiro, and set alight numerous homes and vehicles on the ground. More than 100 residents were evacuated after the crash, with San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl describing the scene as “pretty horrific.”
Dan Baker, a senior investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, told a news conference Friday that the Cessna Citation plane hit “high-tension power lines” and landed in a residential area.
“The pilot and passengers were fatally injured,” Baker said, but he did not name or identify those killed. The Federal Aviation Administration previously confirmed there were six people on board the plane.
No one on the ground was killed or seriously injured, according to Baker.
The pilot did not report any issues to air traffic control or declare an emergency, Baker said, but he later added that the pilot had been warned about fog and was given weather information from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, about four miles to the north. The pilot was attempting to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
According to air traffic audio reviewed by the Associated Press, the pilot acknowledged the landing conditions at the airport were not ideal and had considered diverting to another airport.
The AP also reported that the FAA had posted an official notice about the lights being out of service at the airport, though it is unclear whether the pilot had checked it.
Baker said the wreckage recovery was expected to begin later Friday, adding that “our team will conclude the on-scene portion of the investigation within the next two to three days.”
The plane did not have a flight data recorder, but investigators said they are working to find out whether it had a cockpit voice recorder.
The investigation will continue to focus on the pilot’s qualifications, training, flight history and other human factors, as well as the aircraft’s maintenance history and any environmental issues. A preliminary investigation will be released within several weeks, before a final report is issued within one to two years, Baker said.
The San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the deaths of Shapiro, 42; Emma L. Huke, 25; and Celina Marie Rose Kenyon, 36, in a press release. The cause of death for Huke and Kenyon was listed as multiple blunt force injuries; no cause of death was given for Shapiro.
Shapiro was the co-founder of the music agency Sound Talent Group, which represents artists such as the Canadian rock band Sum 41 and the pop band Hanson.
On Friday, Tandem Management Company paid tribute to Shapiro and three other victims on Instagram, writing: “Yesterday, the music world lost some extraordinary individuals who made a lasting impact on our community and beyond.”
The others named in the post were Daniel Williams, founding member of metalcore band the Devil Wears Prada, as well as Huke and Kendall Fortner. Huke and Fortner worked as booking associates for Shapiro’s Sound Talent Group.