Latest news with #DanielWilliams
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Famous drummer was killed in private jet crash after posting photo of himself at CONTROLS
A famous drummer has died in a private jet crash that killed at least two people hours after he shared a photo of himself at its controls. Daniel Williams, formerly of hugely-popular Christian metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, filmed himself boarding the Cessna 550 at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey late Wednesday night. The drummer, 39, also shared pictures of him at the controls of the small aircraft, said that he was the 'co-pilot now'. It's unclear if he was joking. An eerie final post showed him at the plane's controls with the caption: 'Here we gooooo' The plane, with a tail number of N666DS, took off from Teterboro Airport in on Wednesday at 11.15pm ET, tracking data reveals. It stopped for fuel in Wichita, Kansas before continuing on to California, where the Cessna ultimately crashed in a quiet military neighborhood in San Diego, close to its intended final destination of Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Williams, 39, lived in San Diego, the intended destination of the jet. He left The Devil Wears Prada - a hugely popular Christian metalcore band in 2016 - and became a software engineer. He shared a snap to his Instagram stories as he boarded the plane in the Garden State late Wednesday night. Williams told his followers that he was flying with music agent and pilot Dave Shapiro, who, according to aircraft registration records, had just purchased the eight-seater plane in July last year. On Wednesday, investigators confirmed both people on board the plane died. Eight people were injured, although investigators haven't said if they were on the ground. Shapiro's friend Ryan Bruce, a music producer, paid tribute to the pair, telling Daily Mail: 'Dave changed mine and a lot of other people's lives and the community he built and the network of bands he has worked with and supported will never forget him. 'Daniel left us a lot of music to remember him by and he was a super sweet guy.' This picture appears to have been taken before the jet departed from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey on Wednesday at 11.15pm. It is unclear if Williams got off the plane in Wichita or continued onwards to San Diego Bruce also remembered the pair on his Instagram. He shared a photo of of Williams and his friend Shapiro with the captions 'Rest easy' and heart emojis. Music executive Terrance Coughlin paid tribute to Williams and Shapiro on X. He wrote: 'Rest in Peace Dave Shapiro, Daniel Williams, and everyone on that flight. Some of my very first shows were booked through Dave. 'I had a handful of shows with Daniel, always a pleasure to see him play. Gone way too soon.' Tony Cappocchi, a music agent, paid tribute to Shapiro, telling Daily Mail: 'Dave was a great friend of ours.' A spokesperson for Sound Talent Group confirmed in a statement to Daily Mail that three of its employees were on the plane. '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,' the statement read. 'Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time.' It is unclear at this time which Sound Talent Group employees were on the plane. The Cessna then flew to Colonel James Jabara Airport, landing there at 1:49am CT. It refueled and took off again at 2:36am CT. The plane had been due to arrive at San Diego's Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport just before 4am PT, but never made it to its final destination. The plane crashed just before 4am into the US military's largest housing neighborhood. Officials say that everyone on board the luxurious plane is feared to have died in the ensuing fireball. At least 10 houses were burned or hit by debris that spread over a wide area, and cars on both sides of a street went up in flames. A family of five was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and another person was treated at a hospital for injuries sustained while climbing out of a window trying to flee. Two others were treated for minor injuries at the scene. San Diego officials haven't released details about the plane but did confirm the flight had come in from the Midwest. Flight tracking site FlightAware lists a Cessna Citation II jet scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3.47am from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas. Officials at the Kansas airport said it made a fueling stop in Wichita. The flight originated Wednesday night in Teterboro, New Jersey. The airport in Teterboro is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Manhattan and is used by the rich and famous to fly in and out of New York City on private jets. In the San Diego neighborhood, the smell of jet fuel lingered in the air hours after the crash while authorities worked to extinguish one stubborn car fire. First responders described a frightening scene in the aftermath of 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,' San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said. Chunks of metal from the aircraft littered the street, but no discernible body of the plane could be seen. Half a dozen fully charred cars sat on the street, and tree limbs, melted trash cans, glass and pieces of white and blue metal were scattered around. At the end of the block, black smoke billowed as a car continued to smolder while water mixed with jet fuel flowed down the street. More than 50 police officers responded to the scene within minutes and began evacuating homes. At least 100 residents were displaced to an evacuation center at a nearby elementary school. Police officers were rescuing multiple animals, including three husky puppies that were rolled away from the crash scene in a wagon. A few blocks away, families stood in their pajamas in a parking lot waiting for word of when they could return to their homes. The neighborhood is made up of single-family homes and townhomes. Montgomery-Gibbs airport is about 2 miles away. San Diego Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said it was very foggy at the time the private plane crashed. 'You could barely see in front of you,' he said. Officials were looking into whether the plane clipped a power line before crashing into the neighborhood. The Federal Aviation Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. In October 2021, a twin-engine plane plowed into a San Diego suburb, killing the pilot and a UPS delivery driver on the ground and burning homes. It was preparing to land at the airport. In December 2008, a US Marine Corps fighter jet slammed into a house in San Diego's University City neighborhood, causing an explosion that killed four people inside. The Marine Corps blamed the crash on mechanical failure and human error.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
New report details final minutes of flight that killed rock drummer and 5 others in San Diego
The private jet that crashed last month in San Diego, killing all six on board, was flying too low before it hit power lines and slammed into a house, investigators said Wednesday. According to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report, the plane reached a descent point about three miles from the runway that was too low, before dropping to 60 feet above ground level. The power lines that the plane struck were about 90 feet above the ground and about 1.8 nautical miles away from the runway. Portions of the plane's left horizontal stabilizer and its vertical stabilizer were later found about 200 feet downrange of the power lines, according to the NTSB report. The plane then slammed into a house in a nearby San Diego neighborhood. The victims of the crash included rock drummer Daniel Williams, music agent Dave Shapiro, booking associate Emma L. Huke, 25, photographer Celina Marie Rose Kenyon, 35, and booking associate Kendall Fortner, 24. Eight people on the ground had minor injuries, investigators said. Shapiro was flying the Cessna Citation jet on May 22 from Teterboro, N.J., with plans to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, when he encountered low visibility and thick fog, according to the four-page NTSB report. Read more: Airport weather systems, runway lights were out during deadly Cessna crash in San Diego The automated system that provides weather conditions and runway lights weren't operating at the airport before the plane crashed, the report confirmed. The NTSB report said the pilot told the control tower that he knew the system that provides weather information was out of commission. The NTSB report said that the pilot asked the air traffic controller to help him determine the weather conditions at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Instead, the report said the controller gave the pilot the weather conditions at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, located about four miles north, where winds were calm and visibility was up to half a mile. The report also said that the runway lighting system had not been working since March 28, 2022, and that the repairs had been delayed awaiting the completion of an environmental study. The preliminary report did not include any conclusions or discuss wrongdoing and does not say when a final report is expected to be released. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fox News
13 hours ago
- General
- Fox News
Plane was flying too low during descent in crash that killed rock musician and music exec, NTSB finds
A preliminary investigation into a May plane crash which claimed the lives of six people, including The Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams, provided more insight into the cause of the fatal collision. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report indicated that not only were faulty runway lights an issue, but weather may have affected the pilot's ability to land safely at the airport near San Diego, Calif. "The controller informed the pilot that the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at MYF (Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport) was out of service and the pilot acknowledged that he was aware of that," the report stated. The runway lights had not been working since March 28, 2022. MYF is a tower-controlled airport between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., according to the report, and operates as an uncontrolled airport during the remaining hours of the day. The pilot, who was approved to fly the Cessna S550 single-pilot aircraft on Dec. 15, 2024, discussed "alternate airport weather conditions with the controller in the event he had to perform a missed approach," according to the report. Weather conditions at Marine Corp Air Station Miramar (NKS), roughly four miles north of the airport, were described as calm wind, with ½ mile visibility and an indefinite 200-foot ceiling. The pilot allegedly stated he would notify Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control of his selection for an alternate airport, but did not do so during the remainder of the flight. "When the airplane was about 10 mi northeast of NESTY, the controller asked the pilot if he was going to 'make your descent' and asked if he would like vectors to the south. The pilot replied, 'I think we'll be alright,'" the report stated. "The controller informed the pilot that he was 5 miles from NESTY and instructed them to cross NESTY at or above 3,800 ft msl, and that he was cleared the RNAV approach to runway 28R at MYF, which the pilot acknowledged." The pilot then made a position call that he was at three miles on the approach, followed by "the sound of the microphone button being keyed seven times, consistent with an attempt to activate the pilot-controlled runway lighting." Roughly 2.9 nautical miles from the airport, the Cessna was flying too low for the runway at an altitude of about 1,190 feet msl over PALOS. The minimum crossing altitude was listed at or above 1,380 feet msl. The first identified point of contact was roughly 1.8 nm from the runway when the aircraft damaged power transmission lines which were 90-95 feet above the ground, the NTSB stated. Portions of the plane were located about 200 feet downrange of the lines, with a debris field reaching more than one mile away on a residential street. The airplane impacted one residential structure and 20 vehicles, which were damaged or destroyed by impact or post-impact fire. The airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder. A cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the wreckage, the NTSB said. "The repairs of the affected RAI lighting components and replacement of the light system have been delayed awaiting completion of an environmental study. All other runway lighting was operable at the time of the accident," NTSB said in the report. Dave Shapiro, a music industry executive in the heavy metal and hard rock scene, and drummer Daniel Williams were among those killed in the crash. Eight people reported minor injuries on the ground. Shapiro had a pilot's license and was listed as the owner of the plane that crashed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. He was among the six people killed in the crash, along with two employees, the music agency Sound Talent Group confirmed at the time. "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," the music agency he co-founded, Sound Talent Group, wrote in a statement.
Los Angeles Times
14 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
New report details final minutes of flight that killed rock drummer and 5 others in San Diego
The private jet that crashed last month in San Diego, killing all six on board, was flying too low before it hit power lines and slammed into a house, investigators said Wednesday. According to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report, the plane reached a descent point about three miles from the runway that was too low, before dropping to 60 feet above ground level. The power lines that the plane struck were about 90 feet above the ground and about 1.8 nautical miles away from the runway. Portions of the plane's left horizontal stabilizer and its vertical stabilizer were later found about 200 feet downrange of the power lines, according to the NTSB report. The plane then slammed into a house in a nearby San Diego neighborhood. The victims of the crash included rock drummer Daniel Williams, music agent Dave Shapiro, booking associate Emma L. Huke, 25, photographer Celina Marie Rose Kenyon, 35, and booking associate Kendall Fortner, 24. Eight people on the ground had minor injuries, investigators said. Shapiro was flying the Cessna Citation jet on May 22 from Teterboro, N.J., with plans to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, when he encountered low visibility and thick fog, according to the four-page NTSB report. The automated system that provides weather conditions and runway lights weren't operating at the airport before the plane crashed, the report confirmed. The NTSB report said the pilot told the control tower that he knew the system that provides weather information was out of commission. The NTSB report said that the pilot asked the air traffic controller to help him determine the weather conditions at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Instead, the report said the controller gave the pilot the weather conditions at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, located about four miles north, where winds were calm and visibility was up to half a mile. The report also said that the runway lighting system had not been working since March 28, 2022, and that the repairs had been delayed awaiting the completion of an environmental study. The preliminary report did not include any conclusions or discuss wrongdoing and does not say when a final report is expected to be released.
CNN
16 hours ago
- General
- CNN
NTSB investigators find San Diego jet was flying too low on its descent path before fiery crash
The private jet that crashed into a San Diego neighborhood last month was too low on its descent path for more than a mile before clipping power lines less than 100 feet above the ground, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said Wednesday. The new findings are part of a preliminary report from the NTSB on the fiery May 22 crash that killed all six on board including music agent Dave Shapiro, who was piloting the Cessna Citation jet, and famed rock drummer Daniel Williams. The crash occurred before sunrise in thick fog and low visibility as the overnight flight from Teterboro, New Jersey, was lining up to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Newly released data from the NTSB shows the jet reached a prescribed descent point roughly 3 miles from the runway already too low, then the plane continued to descend to a mere 60 feet above ground level. The preliminary report does not specify why the flight was too low on the approach path. Investigators say they are still analyzing the plane's cockpit voice recorder. NTSB investigators found parts of the plane's tail near 90- to 95-foot-high power transmission lines, which they classified in the report as the 'first identified point of contact.' The main parts of the wreckage, including the passenger cabin and left wing, came to rest in a neighborhood street about a quarter of a mile away, the NTSB said. Nobody on the ground was seriously hurt by the impact, though the NTSB said eight people on the ground received minor injuries. Compounding problems, the airport's automatic weather reporting system was out of service, causing air traffic controllers to relay to Shapiro the conditions at the nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar some four miles away. The NTSB noted part of the airport's lighting system that helps guide pilots in low visibility approaches was out of service since 2022. The report does not find a probable cause, which is due in a final report typically published within two years of the crash. Correction: A previous version of this story gave the wrong day for the release of the NTSB report. It was released Wednesday.
