A private jet slammed into a San Diego neighborhood in dense fog after critical airport systems failed, killing six and raising major questions about pilot decisions and FAA oversight.
At a Glance
- Six people died when a Cessna 550 crashed in Murphy Canyon at 3:45 a.m.
- Thick fog and inoperative runway lights created hazardous landing conditions
- Critical airport equipment was offline due to a power surge
- The pilot continued the landing attempt despite multiple warnings
- FAA rules exempted the private flight from commercial rest regulations
Chain of Failures in Fatal Descent
At 3:45 a.m. on a fog-blanketed morning, a Cessna 550 Citation II plunged into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood of San Diego, erupting in flames and chaos. The twin-jet, on approach to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, encountered perilous weather—half-mile visibility and a 200-foot cloud ceiling—conditions that already strained any landing. But a catastrophic convergence of errors turned the attempt deadly.
Key safety systems at the airport had failed. The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) and runway approach lights were both inoperative due to what the NTSB later identified as an unrelated power surge. Yet the pilot, aware of these failures, pressed on. According to cockpit audio reviewed by investigators, the pilot said, “Doesn’t sound great but we’ll give it a go.” That decision ended in a fiery crash that destroyed one home, damaged ten others, and killed all six aboard, including music agent Dave Shapiro and ex-metal drummer Daniel Williams.
Watch a report: Runway lights out before fatal San Diego jet crash.
Community Shock and Immediate Response
The wreckage set off explosions and a blaze visible across the community. As San Diego Fire Department Assistant Chief Dan Eddy described it, “You could barely see in front of you.” Evacuations were swift: around 100 residents were rushed out, and eight were injured, one requiring hospitalization. Residents, including many active-duty military, responded heroically. Gilbert Gonzalez, a neighbor, recalled the instant instinct to help: “You see fire, you see people crying out for help, you just need to run into it.”
One survivor, Ben McCarty, described escaping the blaze with his family: “All I could see was fire. The roof of the house was still on fire. You could see the night sky from our living room.” In total, the scene painted a picture of overwhelming destruction, fueled not just by fire but by the silence of missing safety protocols.
FAA Exemptions and a Pattern of Risk
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FBI are now conducting a joint investigation. But the probe faces hurdles: the plane lacked a flight data recorder, and it’s unclear if it had a cockpit voice recorder—neither is required on private flights. NTSB investigator Dan Baker said officials would examine “pilot qualifications, training, flight history and other human factors.”
The Cessna had departed Teterboro, New Jersey, with a refueling stop in Wichita before reaching San Diego. That overnight flight schedule, while illegal under FAA crew rest rules for commercial aviation, was perfectly legal for private operations. Former FAA official Jeff Guzzetti suggested fatigue likely played a role. This crash echoes similar tragedies, including fatal incidents in Simi Valley and San Diego in 2021.
A preliminary NTSB report is expected within 30 days, but the full investigation may stretch much longer as regulators attempt to chart a clearer path through the fog of regulatory gaps and aviation risk.
