All six individuals aboard a small aircraft that crashed into a residential area in the US have lost their lives, as confirmed by investigators on Friday.
They pointed out several factors that might have led to the tragedy, including poor visibility due to fog.
US music agent Dave Shapiro was one of the fatalities in the plane that went down in Murphy Canyon, San Diego, California, on Thursday.
Investigator Dan Baker from the National Transportation Safety Board noted that the runway lights were not functioning during the incident, and a weather notification system was also down when the pilot attempted to land.
The investigators mentioned that they fell short and ultimately crashed.
The pilot had recognized that the weather was suboptimal and considered diverting to a different airport during communications with an air traffic controller, as per audio shared by LiveATC.net.
The Federal Aviation Administration had issued a notice about the inoperative lights, but it remains unclear if the pilot was aware of this.
He was heard saying, “doesn’t sound great, but we’ll give it a go” to an air traffic controller.
The aircraft went down two miles (3.2 km) from the airport.
Along with Mr. Shapiro, two unnamed employees of the music agency he co-founded, Sound Talent Group, were among the deceased, alongside Daniel Williams, ex-drummer of the metal band The Devil Wears Prada.
At 42 years old, Mr. Shapiro was listed as the aircraft’s owner and held a valid pilot’s license.
‘Visibility was extremely low’
The aircraft departed from Teterboro, New Jersey, at approximately 11:15 PM local time on Wednesday, making a refueling stop in Kansas before heading to San Diego.
This itinerary wouldn’t be permitted for commercial airliners under federal regulations, but these rules do not extend to private jets.
Assistant Chief of the San Diego Fire Department Dan Eddy stated that the fog was so dense during the crash that “you could barely see in front of you.”
The twin-engine Cessna Citation, while nearing Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, struck power lines before crashing, according to Mr. Baker.
The fire ignited by the crash damaged nearby homes and vehicles, but sadly, there were no casualties or severe injuries reported among the public. Eight individuals received medical attention for minor injuries.
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In the aftermath of the crash, the San Diego Humane Society has been working to retrieve pets that went missing and decontaminating dogs exposed to jet fuel.
The organization reported taking in 22 animals, including 16 dogs and puppies that were contaminated.