Rock band drummer and music agency co-founder identified as victims in deadly San Diego plane crash
SAN DIEGO (KABC) -- The drummer of a rock band and the co-founder of a music talent agency were among those killed Thursday when a plane crashed in a San Diego neighborhood.
The plane reportedly hit a power line and crashed, slamming into a home that burst into flames.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported six people onboard the plane, all of whom are presumed dead.
San Diego Fire Department investigators said they don't believe anyone onboard the plane survived the crash.
What we know about the victims
One of the people killed was identified as 42-year-old Dave Shapiro, the co-founder of Sound Talent Group, a music talent agency.
The music agency confirmed that three of its employees, including Shapiro, died in the crash.
"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. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time," read a statement from Sound Talent Group.
Sound Talent Group has represented artists including American pop band Hanson, American singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton and the Canadian rock group Sum 41. Hanson is perhaps best known for its earworm 1990s pop hit, "MMMBop." Shapiro also owned Velocity Records.
According to the FAA, Shapiro has a pilot's license and is listed as the owner of the plane.
Shapiro also owned a flight school called Velocity Aviation, according to his LinkedIn. The agency has not shared the names of the other two employees who died.
The metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada identified former drummer of the band, Daniel Williams, as the second person killed in the crash.
"No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever," the band posted on Instagram.
Authorities were still combing the scene and recovering the bodies before releasing an official number and identifying the dead.
No one in the neighborhood died, officials said. Eight were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and nonlife threatening injuries, including a person who hurt themselves climbing out of a window, San Diego police officer Anthony Carrasco said.
Parts of Shapiro's 1985 Cessna 550 Citation littered a large area, including fragments under the power lines and a section of wing on a road behind the homes, Elliot Simpson with the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Neighborhood hit hard
At least one home was destroyed with its front heavily burned and its roof partially collapsed and about 10 others suffered damage in Murphy Canyon, the largest neighborhood of Navy-owned housing in the country, officials said.
A burned-out truck at the home that was struck was tossed onto its charred front lawn. Other vehicles along the block were melted and scorched into burned shells. One stubborn car fire sent smoke billowing up for hours.
At least 100 residents were evacuated. Hours after the crash, jet fuel rolled down Salmon Street. The smell of fumes lingered throughout the day, and officials said it was unclear when it would be safe for people to return.
"We have jet fuel all over the place," Assistant San Diego Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said.
Eddy added that the fog was so thick that morning "you could barely see in front of you."
The plane originated from a small New Jersey airport
The flight took off from Teterboro, New Jersey, near Manhattan, at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and made a fuel stop in Wichita, Kansas, before continuing on to San Diego, Simpson said.
Based on the flight path, it was bound for Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport when it struck power lines about two miles southeast of the air field, Simpson said.
Audio recorded by www.liveATC.net includes a brief transmission from the pilot calling out that he was on final approach to the airport and was about 3 miles out at 3:45 a.m.
NTSB investigators planned to spend Thursday and Friday at the scene gathering evidence, Simpson said. He welcomed video or other details from anyone who witnessed the crash.
Residents escape
A loud bang woke up Christopher Moore's wife. They grabbed their three young boys and ran, passing a car engulfed in flames.
"It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you've just got to drop your head and get to safety," the retired sailor said as he stood with his kids all in pajamas waiting for word on the fate of their home.
City Councilmember Raul Campillo said residents told him dramatic stories "about military families helping military families out of their homes, jumping out of windows and avoiding fire."
The plane was attempting to land in foggy weather
At that hour and in foggy weather, the plane was likely operating on an instrument flight rules plan, which is typically used during reduced visibility, said Barry Newman, a board-certified aviation attorney.
However, for that airport, once the aircraft reaches 673 feet, the pilot also has to rely on his sight.
"If a pilot descends to that level and he can't see the runway, he has to call for a missed approach or divert to another airport," Newman said.
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 U.S. 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.
Plane crashes by the numbers
Thursday's crash is just the latest in a string of recent plane accidents in the U.S., but compared to the last several years, the number of crashes this year so far is down.
According to the NTSB, so far, there have been 318 non-fatal accidents in the U.S. in 2025.
In each of the previous four years, there have been an average of about 1,200 non-fatal accidents.
A big percentage of plane crash deaths this year is due to the January mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter in which 67 people died in the nation's capital.
Data by the FAA shows there have been an alarming number of close calls around Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
