A HEARTBREAKING report reveals the shocking moments leading up to a plane crash that killed everyone on board last month.
A preliminary report regarding the accident that resulted in the death of Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the band The Devil Wears Prada, was issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB reported that the plane clipped a power line after flying too low.
The crash involving the Cessna 550 Citation occurred in San Diego’s Murphy Canyon neighborhood in the early hours of May 22 as the aircraft was preparing to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
Among the individuals who tragically lost their lives in the crash were Dave Shapiro, Emma Huke, Kendall Fortner, Celina Kenyon, and Dominic Damian, a 41-year-old senior software engineer.
A preliminary investigation into the crash found that different factors, including harsh weather conditions, contributed to the disaster.
The NTSB’s preliminary report does not name the pilot and has yet to reach a definitive conclusion about whether the pilot’s actions were solely responsible.
However, it is believed that music producer Dave Shapiro was the one flying the plane as he owned the Cessna.
The airport’s weather data system and a runway lighting system designed to guide pilots as they approach the runway were also inoperable, the NTSB reported.
It was unclear whether the pilot was aware of the lights being out of service at the time.
While there’s no definitive answer as to whether the pilot is fully responsible for the disaster, the report does trace the unnamed pilot’s steps.
The pilot’s failure to discuss alternate airport weather conditions with the air traffic controller seemed to be a significant factor in the crash.
The pilot debated diverting to another airport with the controller, according to LiveATC.net audio.
After some debate, he said, “I think we’ll be alright,” and continued to land.
Air traffic controllers told the pilot that the airport’s weather system was out of service, according to the report.
As he began his descent, air traffic controllers reported hearing microphone clicks “consistent with an attempt to activate the pilot-controlled runway lighting.”
The clicks indicate that the pilot was attempting to turn on runway lights different than the airport’s lights, the Daily Mail reported.
The plane continued to fly too low for landing, approximately 200 feet lower than the required landing height, when it struck the power lines.
It was only two miles away from the airport when it collided with the transmission lines about 95 feet above the ground.
The collision sliced the tail of the plane and damaged the stabilizers.
The preliminary report does not come to a final conclusion about what caused the crash.
The NTSB wrote that it could take up to two years to complete the investigation.
