Mysterious Private Jet Crash in San Diego Neighborhood Sparks Investigation and Community Shock
In the early hours before dawn, shrouded in thick fog and amid an unexpected airport power failure, a private jet veered dramatically off its flight path and slammed into a residential area in San Diego—leaving a neighborhood reeling and authorities searching for answers about the circumstances that led to this devastating event.
Was it a tragic combination of adverse weather and technical malfunctions, or could behind-the-scenes decisions have played a hidden role in the catastrophe? As investigators continue their work, the community struggles to comprehend the sudden disaster that upended their quiet streets.
The incident unfolded around 3:45 a.m. local time on May 22 in the Murphy Canyon area, near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
The small aircraft collided directly with a house, completely demolishing the structure while also inflicting damage on ten nearby homes and triggering multiple evacuations in the vicinity.
The affected property suffered severe destruction—its roof partially caved in and the front engulfed by flames.
Onboard were five passengers, including music agent Dave Shapiro, believed to be piloting the jet, along with two colleagues from Sound Talent Group, Emma Huke and Kendall Fortner. Also among the victims were Shapiro’s close friend Dominic Damian, photographer Celina Kenyon, and Daniel Williams, a drummer formerly with the metal band The Devil Wears Prada.
Though investigators have highlighted several contributing factors, no official cause has yet been confirmed, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesperson Dan Baker.
He detailed that the pilot was likely aware of the heavy fog, but the airport’s weather alert system was offline due to a power surge moments before the crash. The crew therefore depended on weather reports from nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, about four miles away.
Compounding the challenge, the power outage disabled critical runway lighting at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Essential visual navigation aids such as the precision approach path indicator and medium intensity runway lighting system were non-operational, leaving the pilot to contend with near-zero visibility in dense fog before sunrise.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA accident investigator, speculated that pilot fatigue—likely a factor given the pilot’s overnight flying schedule—combined with poor weather conditions, contributed heavily to the crash.
“This accident exhibits many characteristics typical of a risky landing attempt in very limited visibility. There were other airports nearby that could have been safer options,” Guzzetti remarked in a PBS interview.
Ben McCarty, the homeowner whose house was struck, described the terrifying moments to ABC’s KGTV. “A sudden explosion woke us up. All I could see were flames consuming the roof. From our living room, you could see the night sky through the ruins,” he recounted.
In response, Sound Talent Group issued a heartfelt statement to the BBC: “We mourn the loss of our co-founder, colleagues, and friends. Our thoughts are with their families and all those affected by this tragedy. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
As the investigation unfolds, officials are meticulously piecing together how fog, a critical power outage, and possibly pilot exhaustion intersected to create this heartbreaking disaster. The destruction of one home, damage to many others, and the loss of multiple lives have left the San Diego community deeply shaken.
While the inquiry remains open, the collective thoughts and sympathies of many continue to be with the families and friends grappling with this profound loss.