Devil Wears Prada drummer posted from jet before San Diego crash

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Daniel Williams, the drummer for metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, was one of the passengers killed in a private jet when it crashed into a San Diego, Calif., neighbourhood early Thursday.

Prior to the crash, Williams shared in a series of stories on Instagram that he was boarding the plane with Dave Shapiro, the co-founder of music agency Sound Talent Group. Shapiro was also killed.

“Flying back with @davevelocity,” Williams captioned one story with a picture of the jet.

“Hey. Hey … you… look at me… I’m the (co)pilot now,” he wrote in another story featuring a picture of the plane’s cockpit.

Devil Wears Prada shared an image on their Instagram page paying tribute to Williams on Thursday.

“No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever,” the band wrote.

The private jet carrying Williams, Shapiro and four others hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday and crashed into a San Diego neighbourhood, slamming into a home.

There were not any survivors aboard the flight.

With the home engulfed in flames and jet fuel rolling down the streets, half a dozen vehicles ignited while residents in the neighbourhood of U.S. Navy-owned housing were shaken awake just before 4 a.m. by the thunderous crash and subsequent explosions. Out their windows, they saw a wall of fire.

“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.

No one in the neighbourhood died, but eight were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and injuries that were not life-threatening, including a person who was hurt climbing out a window, police officer Anthony Carrasco said.

Shapiro and two employees of Sound Talent Group were among those killed, the music agency said in a statement. 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.

“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 agency 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, said Elliot Simpson of the National Transportation Safety Board.

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, according to Simpson.

Based on the flight path, it was bound for Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport when it struck power lines about 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) southeast of the airfield, Simpson said.

Audio recorded by www.liveATC.net includes a brief transmission from the pilot saying he was on final approach to the airport and was about 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) 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 any witnesses.

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 an aircraft reaches 673 feet (205 meters), the pilot also has to rely on 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.

And in December 2008, a Marine Corps fighter jet slammed into a house in San Diego’s University City neighbourhood, causing an explosion that killed four people inside. The Marine Corps blamed the crash on mechanical failure and human error.

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