SAN DIEGO– In the early hours of May 22, 2025, a private jet tragically crashed while on approach to San Diego’s Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport
The accident occurred under poor weather conditions, and chilling air traffic control audio reveals the pilot’s calm demeanor until the final moments.
The Cessna Citation II, carrying six people, struck a residential area just two miles from the runway. Early investigations suggest that fatigue and limited landing alternatives may have played a role in the crash.
On May 22, 2025, at approximately 3:45 AM, a 1985 Cessna Citation II, registered as N666DS, crashed into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, a military housing area near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego.
The jet, on approach to runway 28R, struck power lines, clipped a house, and crashed, damaging 10 homes, one completely destroyed.
Six people were onboard, including Dave Shapiro, a 42-year-old music executive, pilot, and owner of the aircraft through Daviation LLC, and Daniel Williams, a former drummer for The Devil Wears Prada.
All are presumed dead, with eight ground injuries reported but no ground fatalities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating.
The aircraft departed Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, at 11:15 PM EDT on May 21, stopped for 45 minutes to refuel at Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas, and continued to San Diego, a total flight time of nearly eight hours.
Dense fog with half-mile visibility and a 200-foot cloud ceiling complicated the approach.
