San Diego plane crash news: What we know about six victims who died on board

A private plane with six people onboard crashed while approaching an airport in the San Diego neighbourhood resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including music executive Dave Shapiro.

According to a report by AP, Shapiro was a cofounder of Sound Talent Group, an influential music agency representing bands such as Pierce The Veil, Parkway Drive, and Sum 41, along with pop artists like Vanessa Carlton.

San Diego plane crash: How did the accident happen?

Headed from New Jersey to San Diego with a fueling stop in Kansas, the plane went down about 2 miles (3 kilometres) from San Diego’s Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Eight people on the ground were hurt, none seriously.

“The Cessna 550 Citation crashed after hitting power lines,” Baker said, as reported by AP.

The pilot acknowledged to an air traffic controller that the weather was not ideal and debated diverting to a different airport, according an audio recording posted online by LiveATC.net.

Reason behind San Diego plane crash

Investigators say it may take up to a year to determine the exact cause of the plane crash, though early findings point to several contributing factors — including dense fog, malfunctioning runway lights, and a broken weather alert system, according to Dan Baker of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

All six people on board, including the pilot, were killed, but fortunately, no one on the ground was seriously injured.

Here’s what to know about the victims and the crash:

Dave Shapiro:  Shapiro, 42, got into music playing in a band he founded with friends while in high school, called Count with Stars. Shapiro helped bring the underground $10-a-show alternative scene of the 2010s to the mainstream. “He also was huge in creating a community,” said Mike Shea, founder of Alternative Press Magazine, the Associated Press reported.

Kendall Fortner and Emma Huke

Fortner, 24, and Huke, 25, joined Shapiro’s agency as booking associates after graduating from college, according to bios released by Sound Talent Group, which confirmed both women were on the plane, AP reported.

Huke, too, knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the industry, and she worked hard to save money to attend concerts and festivals.

Daniel Williams

Williams was a former drummer for The Devil Wears Prada, a well-known metalcore band from Ohio recognized for blending melodic punk rock with heavy metal influences.

“When Williams was in the band, that’s when they really broke out,” said Shea.

Celina Marie Rose Kenyon

Kenyon, 36, was another passenger, according to the coroner’s office in San Diego. A spokesperson for Sound Talent Group said she was not an employee.

Bryan Charles Feldman, Kenyon’s father, said in a statement to AP that she was respected in her career as a professional photographer. 

Dominic Christopher Damian

Also among the victims was 41-year-old Damian, as confirmed by the coroner’s office on Saturday.

The Training Center, a martial arts school in San Diego where Damian trained, paid tribute to him on Instagram. The gym announced it will hold an open-mat session in his memory on Monday.

(With inputs from Associated Press)