Deadly Corporate Jet Crashes into San Diego Neighborhood
On Thursday, May 22, 2025, at approximately 3:45 AM PDT, Cessna 550 Citation, a light business jet, crashed during approach to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood of San Diego, California, resulting in the deaths of all six occupants and extensive property damage in a military housing community. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact after striking a power line and residential homes near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF). The crash ignited multiple fires that consumed approximately 15 homes and numerous vehicles along the impact zone.
N550XX Flight Details
- Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Time: Approximately 03:47 local time
Aircraft Type: Cessna S550 Citation S/II
Owner/Operator: Daviator LLC, operating for Sound Talent Group
Registration: N666DS
Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN): S550-0056
Year of Manufacture: 1985
Engine Model: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4
Fatalities: 6
Onboard: 6
Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Maximum Capacity: 10, including crew
Location: Near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF/KMYF), San Diego, CA, USA
Phase of Flight: Approach
Nature of Flight: Private
Departure Airport: Wichita-Colonel James Jabara Airport, KS (KAAO)
Destination Airport: San Diego-Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, CA (MYF/KMYF)
According to flight tracking data, N666DS had departed from Teterboro, New Jersey on Wednesday night at approximately 11:15 PM, made a fuel stop in Wichita, Kansas, before continuing to San Diego with an estimated arrival time of 3:47 AM at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. The aircraft was scheduled to continue to Tallahassee, Florida after the San Diego stop. N666DS crashed in the 3100 block of Salmon Street in the Murphy Canyon area, approximately one mile from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, after clipping a power line approximately 2 miles southeast of the airport. The impact zone extended along residential streets, with the aircraft’s trajectory creating a significant debris field through the military housing neighborhood.
Were You or Someone You Know Affected
Weather Conditions
At the time of the crash, San Diego was experiencing dense fog conditions with visibility of half a mile and a cloud ceiling of 200 feet. Air traffic control audio recorded minutes before the crash shows the pilot inquiring about weather conditions at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Controllers reported the visibility and ceiling conditions to the pilot.
The pilot’s response was captured on LiveATC.net: “All right, that doesn’t sound great but we’ll give it a go.” Approximately 30 minutes after this exchange, N666DS crashed with no mayday call or emergency declaration.
San Diego Fire Assistant Chief Dan Eddy stated he could only see 40 to 50 feet in front of him due to the dense fog at the crash scene. The morning forecast had indicated “Foggy this morning, then partly cloudy this afternoon” with patchy fog and reduced visibilities expected throughout the early morning hours.
Crash Scene and Emergency Response
N666DS struck a power line approximately 2 miles southeast of Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport before crashing into the Murphy Canyon residential area. The aircraft made direct impact with at least one home, which was destroyed, while damaging approximately 15 other residences in the military housing community.
Ben and Srujana McCarty, whose home received a direct hit, escaped alive. “It put my truck into our living room,” McCarty said. The jet fuel spill ignited fires that destroyed every vehicle parked along both sides of the affected streets.
Over 100 firefighters responded to battle the multiple structure fires, extinguishing all blazes by 6:30 AM. The response required coordination between fire departments, hazmat teams, and military personnel due to the crash occurring in Tierrasanta.
Resident Ariya Waterworth described waking to a “whooshing sound” followed by a “giant fireball” outside her window. She evacuated with her two children and family dog, later finding her yard “littered with plane parts, broken glass and debris” with one car “completely disintegrated.”
A Cessna Citation S/II with registration N666DS, crashes into Murphy Canyon neighborhood.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 22, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the aircraft was heading to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport with an unknown number of people on board.#aircraft pic.twitter.com/TfPAaLvHyz
Casualties and Impact
All six people aboard N666DS were killed in the crash. The victims include:
Two Sound Talent Group employees: Names have not been released at the request of company officials to allow for family notification.
Two other passengers: Identities remain under investigation.
- Confirmed Victims:
Dave Shapiro
Dave Shapiro was a 42-year-old music industry veteran who co-founded Sound Talent Group in 2018 alongside partners Tim Borror and Matt Andersen, building upon their successful careers at The Agency Group and United Talent Agency. His impressive talent roster included major bands such as Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, I Prevail, Set it Off, Story of the Year, Silverstein, Parkway Drive, Eve 6, Lamb of God, Beartooth, Movements, Ice Nine Kills, Killswitch Engage, Motionless In White, In This Moment, and Black Label Society, while Sound Talent Group grew to represent over 400 innovative artists including household names like Hanson (famous for “MMMBop”) and Vanessa Carlton. Beyond his booking agency work, Shapiro operated Velocity Records music label, whose roster included Thursday, Concrete Castles, and Craig Owens, as well as Velocity Aviation flight school. An experienced pilot with over a decade of flying experience and certified as a flight instructor since 2010, Shapiro owned the crashed aircraft through Daviator LLC, an Alaska-based company where he served as sole employee and manager. Known throughout the industry for his adventurous spirit and thrill-seeking lifestyle that included BASE jumping, aerobatic flying, helicopters, and twin engines, his aviation website captured his passion: “From BASE jumping to aerobatic flying, Helicopters to twin engines, flight instructing to furthering his own education, doesn’t matter to Dave as long as he gets to be in the sky.” As a founding member of the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), Shapiro was instrumental in the organization’s formation and funding while helping peers navigate the pandemic shutdown of live music during his 16-year booking career that began with financial struggles before achieving success. NITO described him as “a visionary in the music industry” whose “passion, dedication, and unwavering support for artists shaped the careers of countless musicians and helped elevate the live music experience for fans around the world.”
Today we are all mourning the tragic loss of our longtime friend and booking agent Dave Shapiro. Dave was fearless in life, and tireless in his work, and the kind of friend you would want on your speed dial. Dave seemed to always be working on a new endeavor, or to be going on a… pic.twitter.com/HO7cm8Aew0
— HANSON (@hansonmusic) May 23, 2025
Daniel Williams
Daniel Williams was a 39-year-old musician who served as drummer for the metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada from their formation in 2005 until his departure in 2016, contributing to major albums including Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (2006), Plagues (2007), With Roots Above and Branches Below (2009), Dead Throne (2011), 8:18 (2013), and the Space EP (2015). During his tenure with the band, they achieved significant commercial success with two top 10 titles on the Billboard 200 chart – 2010’s Zombie EP and 2011’s Dead Throne – plus two No. 1 positions on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. After leaving the music industry, Williams transitioned to a career in technology as a software engineer, working at GoPro for nearly eight years before recently announcing on May 14, 2025 – just eight days before the crash – his excitement about accepting a software engineering role at Apple, stating “It’s been really tough to say goodbye to my friends and colleagues of nearly 8 years at GoPro, but it’s time for my next chapter. It’s time to help build the future.” Living in San Diego at the time of the accident, Williams had previously survived a traumatic experience in August 2019 when he was present during a mass shooting at the bar Ned Peppers in Dayton, Ohio, where nine people were killed and at least 26 injured. In his final social media posts on Wednesday afternoon before the crash, Williams documented boarding the plane with Shapiro, sharing images from inside the cockpit with the caption “Hey. Hey…you…look at me…I’m the (co)pilot now” – though his father later confirmed he was joking as he didn’t have a pilot’s license – and tagged Shapiro in an Instagram story with “Flying back with @davevelocity.” Following news of his death, The Devil Wears Prada paid tribute to their former bandmate on social media, writing “No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever.”
Sound Talent Group released a statement: “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.”
Ground Casualties: No residents were killed. Eight people on the ground sustained injuries, with five hospitalized for smoke inhalation and three others treated for minor injuries. Approximately 100 residents were evacuated from the affected military housing neighborhood.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 550 Citation is a twin-engine business jet. N666DS was a 1985 model owned through Daviator LLC by Dave Shapiro, who was a pilot with more than a decade of flying experience.
The Citation 550 (Citation II) features twin Pratt & Whitney JT15D turbofan engines with a maximum cruise speed of approximately 400 knots and range of about 1,500 nautical miles. The aircraft is certified for instrument flight rules (IFR) operations.
The aircraft carried both a flight data recorder and possibly a cockpit voice recorder, though investigators have not yet recovered these devices from the wreckage.
Airport Information
Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF) is a busy general aviation reliever airport serving the San Diego metropolitan area. The airport features three runways:
Runway 10L/28R: 4,598 x 150 feet, asphalt, with precision approach capabilities
Runway 10R/28L: 3,401 x 60 feet, asphalt
Runway 5/23: 3,400 x 75 feet, asphalt
The airport is equipped with instrument landing systems and operates an FAA control tower from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM local time. At the time of this accident (3:45 AM), the airport would have been operating without tower control, requiring pilots to coordinate their own traffic separation and approach procedures.
Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport has experienced several notable accidents in recent years, including a twin-engine Cessna 340 crash in October 2021 that killed at least two people when it struck three houses near Santana High School.
Investigation Status
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation. NTSB investigators spent Thursday and Friday documenting the crash site and plan to recover the aircraft to a secure location on Saturday for examination.
The airport control tower at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport was closed at the time of the crash, which is normal procedure for airports of this size during early morning hours. Pilots can legally land at airports without active tower control.
A preliminary report will be published on the NTSB website in approximately two weeks, with a final report expected in 12-18 months. Investigators will examine aircraft maintenance records, pilot qualifications, weather conditions, air traffic control communications, airport equipment functionality, and aircraft systems operation.
The aircraft carried both flight data and cockpit voice recorders, though these have not yet been recovered from the wreckage.
Impact on Local Community
Approximately 100 residents were evacuated from multiple blocks. Both Hancock and Miller Elementary Schools were closed Thursday but reopened Friday. A temporary evacuation center was established at Miller Elementary School.
Traffic impacts included closure of the Interstate 15 off-ramp to Aero Drive and multiple local street closures. Sample Street remained completely closed, along with portions of Salmon Street and Santo Road, with these closures continuing overnight. San Diego Police asked residents to call 619-531-2000 if they smell jet fuel or locate any debris.
Jet fuel contamination required specialized hazardous materials response teams. One residence was destroyed with at least 15 homes affected.
Note: All reported details are preliminary and based on witness reports or publicly available information. Official findings will be determined by the NTSB.
The NTSB investigation will determine the probable cause of this accident. The aviation community awaits the findings from the recovered flight data and cockpit voice recorders, along with the complete analysis of weather conditions, aircraft performance, and pilot actions during the final approach phase.
This analysis will be updated as additional information becomes available from the ongoing NTSB investigation.
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✈️🔥A Cessna 550 slammed into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood amid dense fog, igniting 1 home and damaging several others. Residents fled as jet fuel spread across streets, forcing evacuations. The FAA & NTSB launched an investigation, while officials scramble to assess… pic.twitter.com/abVQpYaMGF
— GoodMorningRooster (@RoosterGM) May 22, 2025