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Music talent agent Dave Shapiro was among those killed when a small private plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood early Thursday, igniting cars and homes and injuring eight people on the ground.
The fiery crash occurred around 3:47 a.m. when a small Cessna 550 abruptly came down into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.
Shapiro, 42, the owner of Sound Talent Group, was one of at least three people killed in the crash, according to his music talent agency. Company officials told Billboard the plane was carrying other passengers who have not yet been identified, but none survived.
The plane could hold between eight and 10 people, but authorities have not said how many people were believed to be aboard the aircraft at the time. However, authorities confirmed that all of those injured were on the ground.
The aircraft appeared to have destroyed at least one home, leaving it charred and collapsed. About 10 to 15 homes and half a dozen vehicles also suffered damage, and it took first responders several hours to extinguish the flames.
When asked where the plane debris spread, Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy noted it was “everywhere” and there was a “very large” debris field.
The disaster, which occurred during particularly foggy weather, prompted the evacuation of a stretch of homes within the neighborhood, which mainly serves military service members.
The crash let a steady stream of jet fuel running down the street and caused multiple cars to catch fire, Eddy said. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said “close to 100 people” were displaced due to the sheer amount of jet fuel spilled and overall destruction. Authorities said they hoped people would be able to return to their homes by Thursday evening.
It was also not immediately known what led to the crash, though the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a “clipped” power line in the area that the plane may have struck.
The flight had been coming from the Midwest, authorities said. According to the flight tracking site Flight Aware, the plane was supposed to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3:47 a.m., coming in from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.
Officials at the Kansas airport said it was there making a fueling stop. The flight originated Wednesday night in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to Flight Aware.
Hours after the disaster, chunks of metal from the aircraft remained littered across the street, with no clear body of the plane visible. The fiery aftermath, with cars up in flames and thick plumes of gray smoke rising from the neighborhood, left locals in shock.
“It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you’ve just got to drop your head and get to safety,” Christopher Moore, who lives one street over from the crash site, said.
Shapiro, the only person identified among the deceased, was an avid pilot with over a decade of experience flying. It was not immediately clear if he was flying the plane or if he was a passenger. He was also known around the music industry as a daredevil, according to the Billboard report.
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,” a spokesperson for Sound Talent Group told Billboard. “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.”
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,” his aviation website reads.
Shapiro, who worked with bands including Sum 41 and Pierce the Veil, was also a staunch supporter of independent music. He launched his own agency in 2018 with Tim Borror and Matt Anderson.
With Associated Press contributions.
