Talent agent and musician killed in San Diego plane crash

(NewsNation) — The co-founder of a music talent agency and the former drummer of the metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada were among three people killed when a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood Thursday.

Sound Talent Group says 3 employees dead

Sound Talent Group said three of its employees, including co-founder Dave Shapiro, were killed in the crash but did not identify the other two. In a social media post, The Devil Wears Prada said former drummer Daniel Williams was on the flight and had perished.

“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. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time,” Sound Talent Group said in a prepared statement.

Shapiro also owned a flight school called Velocity Aviation and a record label, Velocity Records, according to his LinkedIn page.

The plane struck powerlines two miles from the airport and then struck a house early Thursday, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team of eight investigators plus the airplane manufacturer to investigate. They will spend tonight and tomorrow on scene and plan to recover the plane on Saturday.

In a press briefing, an investigator said the plane departed Teterboro, N.J., at 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday and stopped in Wichita, Kansas, to refuel.

A preliminary report is expected in two to three weeks with a final report ready in 12 to 18 months. The plane likely had a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder but investigators have not yet listened to any audio.

Eight people were also injured, authorities said. None of the fatalities were from people on the ground. One person was taken for treatment, and the others were treated at the evacuation center and released.

The number of passengers on the plane remains unknown, and officials described a very large debris field from the crash.

One home was permanently destroyed, officials said, and multiple other homes suffered damage from the crash.

Authorities said the scene is being held for the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate.

The private plane originated in the Midwest, and it was unclear whether there was any communication from the pilot to the Federal Aviation Administration.

One car fire was still burning late Thursday morning, with first responders working to put it out. The area was a military neighborhood, and nearly 100 people have been displaced by the crash.

The San Diego Humane Society also reported it was providing medical care to dogs who reportedly had jet fuel on their fur from the crash, giving them decontamination baths.

The Cessna 550, which can carry ten passengers, crashed near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport around 3:45 a.m. local time, according to the FAA.

At the time of the crash, the weather was foggy.

“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now.”

Eddy said there was “a direct hit to multiple homes” in San Diego’s Murphy Canyon neighborhood and described “a gigantic debris field” in a dense, packed area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.