Federal agents have revealed that the runway lights at the Montgomery Gibbs executive airport in San Diego, which were meant to assist the private jet carrying members of The Devil Wears Prada, had been out of service since 2022. This malfunction likely contributed to the tragic crash involving drummer Daniel Williams and music executive Dave Shapiro, which claimed the lives of all six people on board.
According to investigators, the jet was flying too low in the foggy and misty conditions when it struck a power line just before attempting to land. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released recently laid out the details of the accident, which occurred on May 22.
Beyond the issues with descent and the lack of runway lighting, the NTSB identified multiple contributing factors to the tragedy. The pilot acknowledged that the weather was less than ideal and they had discussed the possibility of diverting to another airport due to visibility concerns.
Despite the circumstances, the pilot was heard stating, “I think we’re fine,” just before attempting the landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a notice regarding the inoperative runway alignment lights, but NTSB investigators noted that these had actually been non-functional since 2022 due to ongoing repair delays. It’s unclear if the pilot was aware of this situation at the time.
When the aircraft struck the power line, it was flying only about 60 feet above the ground, nearly 200 feet below its intended altitude.
As of now, the official cause of the crash remains undetermined, with a final report from the NTSB expected to be released later this year.
