Cause Of San Diego Plane Crash That Killed 6, Including Former Devil Wears Prada Drummer, Revealed
on Jun 19, 2025
Preliminary Reports Point To Pilot And Flight Controller Error
The pilot, Dave Shapiro, a well-known music producer, was recorded saying chilling words prior to the landing attempt.
He said, “I think we’ll be alright,” before the devastating crash.
On May 22nd, 2025, six individuals lost their lives in a small plane crash in San Diego, including the former drummer from The Devil Wears Prada, Daniel Williams.
Preliminary reports have emerged regarding the cause of the crash. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) typically take about a year to issue official findings, so these reports should not be regarded as the definitive cause.
However, investigators believe they have a reasonable understanding of the factors that led to this tragic incident.
Local San Diego news outlet NBC 7 interviewed Robert Katz, a pilot with over 43 years of experience, who reviewed the report and stated that both the pilot, Shapiro, and the air traffic controller made critical errors during landing.
The morning of the crash was marked by thick fog, which meant that the pilot had to rely on airplane instruments rather than visibility.
According to regulations, the FAA prohibits landing under such weather conditions if the weather reporting system malfunctions, which was the case here due to a local power surge. This rendered the landing unauthorized.
Katz emphasized that both the pilot and the air traffic controller should have been aware of this rule and redirected the plane to a different airport.
“That is a failure on both sides of the microphone. The pilot is not authorized to fly this approach procedure without a valid altimeter setting…and the controller should not have issued that approach clearance.”
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The Other Suspected Causes Of The Crash
Katz pointed out that the landing wasn’t feasible not only because of visibility but also because weather conditions failed to meet the minimum approach standards for Montgomery Gibbs Airport, where the crash happened.
The airport guidelines are, “It required three-quarters of a mile of visibility and a 250-foot ceiling (lowest cloud height level). Miramar was reporting a half-mile visibility and a 200-foot ceiling.”
The recording also captures a brief discussion between Shapiro and the air traffic controller, during which they acknowledged that the weather was suboptimal, yet they chose to proceed with landing.
Katz recounted his perspective on the events.
“He’s coming in way too high, way too fast for a stabilized approach to the runway,” Katz said. “He is, in effect, diving toward the ground, in the blind, in the soup, in the fog. He can’t see anything out in front of him, and he ultimately gets too low and strikes a power line.”
This crash is a devastating loss for the six lives involved and their families and friends. Our hearts go out to all those affected.
This is an ongoing story; check back for updates.
