Plane Flying Too Low Crashes Near San Diego Airport Killing Six

A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the May 22 plane crash in San Diego, which killed former The Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams and Sound Talent Group co-founder Dave Shapiro among six on board, revealed that the Cessna 550 was flying too low for over a mile before clipping power lines about 95 feet above the ground. Poor weather conditions, including fog and low visibility, and an inoperative approach lighting system at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, which had been non-functional since March 2022, were contributing factors. The pilot, believed to be licensed pilot and flight instructor Shapiro, was aware of the weather challenges and had discussed the option of diverting, but continued the descent despite warnings. The crash caused significant damage, igniting multiple house fires and injuring eight pedestrians. Williams had shared moments from the flight on social media shortly before the tragedy, and Shapiro was a prominent music industry figure with decades of experience as a pilot. The NTSB recovered the cockpit voice recorder to aid further analysis of the crash.