A total of six people died in Thursday’s crash, authorities said. The names of two more people who were killed when the small private jet on which they were passengers crashed into a San Diego, California, neighborhood last week were released on Sunday. The San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that 41-year-old Dominic Christopher Damian and 24-year-old Kendall Fortner were among the six people aboard a Cessna 550 jet that crash and burst into flames early Thursday morning in dense fog near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport.
The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. when the private jet clipped powerlines and crashed in San Diego’s Murphy Canyon neighborhood seconds before it was to land at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, according to an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Eight people on the ground were injured, including five who were treated for smoke inhalation. Multiple homes were destroyed and several vehicles were damaged, authorities said.
On Friday, the Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of three of the people aboard the aircraft who were killed as 42-year-old David Shapiro, 25-year-old Emma Huke, and 36-year-old Celina Kenyon. The identity of the sixth person killed in the cash has not been publicly confirmed by officials. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to San Diego when it crashed, officials said. The plane originated in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightRadar24 records. The plane stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before flying on to San Diego, according to FlightRadar24.
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like this tragic incident could have been avoided. San Diego Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Operations Dan Eddy said at a news conference on Thursday that there was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash. In air traffic control audio transmissions minutes before the crash, the pilot was recorded asking about the weather conditions, according to LiveATC.net. The NTSB said that the airport’s weather reporting system as well as runway lights were both not functioning at the time of the crash.
Among those killed were 42-year-old Dave Shapiro, the co-founder of the Sound Talent Group; 24-year-old Kendall Fortner; and 25-year-old Emma Huke. Fortner and Huke were both booking associates with the agency. Shapiro was the co-founder of the music talent agency Sound Talent Group, the company said in an earlier statement. The company’s statement identified Fortner as a booking associate with the agency but Fortner’s identity wasn’t officially confirmed by the medical examiner until Sunday. Huke also worked for the talent agency as a booking associate, according to the agency.
In conclusion, the crash of the small private jet in San Diego last week was a tragic event that resulted in the loss of six lives. The investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing, but it is clear that the dense fog in the area at the time played a significant role. Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this terrible accident.
